Voice Love On Air from Game Source Entertainment and Softstar Entertainment has made its debut on the Nintendo Switch, offering a fresh take on the BL (Boys’ Love) visual novel genre. If you’re not familiar, BL focuses on narratives involving romantic relationships between male characters, and in this game, you’re stepping into the shoes of a male protagonist who navigates such relationships while also juggling a career in voice directing and radio drama production, which makes the game’s title all the more fitting!
Meet Aki, our main character, who aims to balance his pursuit of love with the responsibilities of managing voice recordings for BL dramas. The game allows you to choose from a variety of voice actors, each bringing their own unique flair to the performances. This means that depending on your choices, you’ll experience different outcomes in the dramas produced, adding significant replay value to the game. Voice Love On Air is voiced in Japanese with English text, enriching the storytelling experience. To keep the studio afloat, you must produce compelling BL dramas that generate enough income to cover operational costs.
For those new to visual novels, these games focus heavily on storytelling. At times, they offer linear narratives, while other times, they present pivotal decision-making moments that affect the trajectory of the story, determining the paths you and the characters take. Voice acting, though costly, enhances these experiences, and Voice Love On Air fully embraces this with its Japanese performances. You’ll have the chance to pursue romance with one of four different male characters, each presenting unique storylines as you guide Aki’s journey.
Part of the challenge is making sure your studio stays afloat by earning enough to pay off a substantial $200,000 debt every season. It turns out Aki has quite the talent for discerning not just what is said but the emotions underlying the words, a skill that becomes crucial in his role as a voice director. The hefty financial demands of running your own studio are ever-present, pushing you to direct some truly successful BL dramas.
Through the Project Manager app, you’ll manage projects requiring specific skills. Improving Aki’s capabilities across areas like recognition, profession, communication, and performance is essential. But be wary of fatigue, as it can negatively impact your work. Utilize vouchers for online classes to help sharpen these abilities as you prepare for the next recording milestone.
Recording itself is a multi-stage process requiring careful timing across five consecutive working days per stage. These stages – Check Details, Appoint, Table Read, and Record – must be executed smoothly. Meeting project deadlines is critical, as failure to do so could lead to financial ruin. As you make your way through a project’s requirements, including reviewing synopses and scripts, it’s important to keep a strategic eye on all the necessary details.
You’ll find that each drama brings the possibility of unexpected and varied results, largely determined by your choice of voice actors and the artistic direction you provide. The game spans a two-year timeline, offering ample opportunities for love to develop at the workplace. Boasting over 200,000 words, 20 songs, 30 CGs, and 20 different dramas, Voice Love On Air presents a rich narrative tapestry for players to explore.
At its heart, Voice Love On Air blends aspects of BL romance with the challenges of production management. The diverse range of voices you can guide and the strategic decisions you make result in unique drama productions. Resources spent on improving skills via items or online courses can also enhance your experience, letting you tackle increasingly complex projects. Additionally, there is the opportunity to lower fatigue or even charm romantic interests with gifts. Priced at $29.99 on the Nintendo Switch, this title invites you to discover whether this new job of yours might just lead you to love.
This review was based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by Game Source Entertainment.
