Game Source Entertainment and Softstar Entertainment have teamed up to bring a new visual novel to the Nintendo Switch called Voice Love On Air. This isn’t just any visual novel though—it’s a BL (Boys’ Love) story. You’ll dive into the shoes of a male protagonist searching for romance among several potential suitors, but that’s not all. This game also throws a management simulation into the mix, where your task revolves around voice directing and producing radio dramas. Hence the catchy title!
In this narrative, you play as Aki, who needs to navigate the challenges of both love and running recording sessions for BL dramas. Your role involves picking and directing various voice actors, which means the possibilities for diverse storylines are endless, enhancing the game’s replay value. Although all voice acting is in Japanese, fret not—there’s English text throughout. Your ultimate goal? To produce hit BL dramas that bring in enough cash to keep your operation alive!
If you’re unfamiliar with visual novels, they are essentially narrative-driven games with storytelling at their core. The paths you take depend on the decisions you make along the way, which affect who you interact with and how the story unfolds. In Voice Love On Air, the storytelling comes enriched with voice acting, offering four intriguing love interests for Aki to consider.
Managing the business side of things is no small feat. As Aki, you’ve somehow stumbled upon a talent for discerning genuine emotions hidden behind words, a skill that becomes crucial in your directorial role—especially since you need to shell out a hefty $200,000 each season to cover your studio’s debt.
The Project Manager app within the game is where you’ll stay on top of your duties, tracking each project’s specifics and working on Aki’s skills in crucial areas like Recognition, Profession, Communication, and Performance. Classes are available to boost these stats, but you’ll need to juggle your schedule cleverly to avoid burnout.
Recording sessions are divided into four stages over a five-day span: Check Details, Appoint, Table Read, and Record. Successfully meeting the project’s requirements is key, and each must be completed before the deadlines to stave off financial ruin. Being thorough with project synopses, contracts, and scripts is a must.
The choices you make in hiring talent and providing direction can lead to a myriad of different outcomes for the dramas you produce. This variability enhances the game’s replayability, with each project potentially offering a distinct radio drama experience. Spanning over two years in-game, there’s ample opportunity for romance to bloom alongside professional triumphs. The narrative is expansive, featuring a whopping 200,000 words, 20 songs, and 30 artworks.
At $29.99, Voice Love On Air offers an intricate mix of romantic storytelling and strategic management, providing a fresh angle to traditional visual novels. Whether you succeed in love or crash and burn trying to cover the studio’s debts is up to how you manage Aki’s dual life of business and pleasure.
This review is based on a Nintendo Switch version of the game provided by Game Source Entertainment. Will Aki’s unexpected career path lead him to find love along the way? Dive in to find out.
