Voice Love On Air by Game Source Entertainment in collaboration with Softstar Entertainment is the newest addition to the BL visual novel genre on the Nintendo Switch, offering a delightful mix of romance and management simulation. For those unfamiliar with BL, it stands for Boys’ Love, and it positions you as a male lead who embarks on a journey filled with potential romantic entanglements. Intriguingly, this game seamlessly combines the elements of BL romance with a management simulator, placing you in the role of a voice director and radio drama producer.
You step into the shoes of Aki, navigating not only the complexities of recording sessions for BL dramas but also the emotional landscapes that come with them. An exciting aspect is your ability to choose different voice actors and direct their performances, each decision affecting the outcome of the drama. This choice-driven approach enhances replayability, ensuring every playthrough offers something fresh. The game contains voice acting in Japanese, complemented by English text, which means as Aki, you’ll strive to produce the most captivating dramas to keep your production financially afloat.
For anyone new to visual novels, they are all about rich storytelling, with varying levels of player interaction. Some visual novels are linear, while others, like Voice Love On Air, branch into multiple paths dictated by your decisions, interacting with diverse characters along the way. This game is equipped with full voice acting—a luxury for any visual novel in this era—and features four different love interests for Aki to explore romance with.
At the heart of the game, recording top-notch BL dramas helps generate income, essential for Aki to manage a hefty studio debt. It turns out, beneath the dire necessity of voice directing lies Aki’s knack for perceiving authentic emotions behind spoken words. And with a daunting $200,000 debt looming every season, the pressure is on to deliver excellent content.
Using the Project Manager app, you’ll track and manage all the details necessary for each recording project. Enhancing Aki’s skills, such as Recognition, Profession, Communication, and Performance, is vital, as these directly impact the quality of the output. Be wary of fatigue, which can negatively impact your efficiency. You can invest in online classes via vouchers to keep skills sharp and projects on track.
The recording process itself is structured into four stages: Check Details, Appoint, Table Read, and Record, each spanning five workdays. Meeting the project requirements by improving Aki’s stats ensures smooth execution but always keep mindful of deadlines to avoid financial disaster. Each project requires thorough understanding of its synopsis, contract, and script to succeed.
With each drama, potential outcomes are rich and varied, driven by your choices regarding talent and direction. Therefore, Voice Love On Air offers significant replay value, inviting you to explore multiple storylines over a two-year period in the game’s narrative. This timeframe provides ample room for love stories to develop in the workplace. Expect a massive script boasting over 200,000 words, along with 20 unique songs, 30 CG illustrations, and 20 different dramas.
While progressing, spending on in-game items can enhance your stats, allow tackling more profitable projects, and ensure you continue to manage that daunting debt. Purchase online course vouchers, energy-boosting items, or thoughtful gifts for your in-game love interests. Voice Love On Air is currently available on the Nintendo Switch, offered at $29.99.
In conclusion, Voice Love On Air presents a unique simulation experience that tests your managerial skills and offers a heartfelt journey of love and career. Can you thrive as a voice director while navigating the personal realm of romance? Time to find out! The game delivers an engaging narrative journey, skillfully blending romantic storytelling with stimulating gameplay mechanics.
A special thank you to Game Source Entertainment for providing a Nintendo Switch copy of Voice Love On Air for this review.
