Ok, so just to clarify, I’ve actually been meaning to write a review for this game for a while now (as well as others) but never got around to it (sorry devs, Jen&Sis!) due to my tendency to procrastinate with my writing ideas. Also, this is my first review for the site and I thought this game would be a good place to start, seeing as it left somewhat of an impact on me. It was kind of glossed over despite multiple playthroughs of it on YouTube, and despite being a horror game, one of the more popular genres in the community. I hope this can be the first of many reviews to come!

This game was released in 2018, followed up with some bug fixes and updates, which the devs themselves have been working hard to fix (I can understand the frustration...or maybe not, since I haven’t made any games yet...but still! I feel your pain, especially as first time devs!) So if I touch on any glitches in this review, please take it with a pinch of salt, though some did affect the overall experience of playing. Not to mention, this is the devs’ first game, their second being Hobbledehoy (which I need to get around to playing already.) And speaking of the devs, they’re really friendly folks which is always nice to see in the community and I appreciate all their hard work on the game!

Anyway, with the long introduction out the way, onto the actual review! It will definitely include some random thoughts I had while playing, just for that personal touch. I may have forgotten some details seeing as how I played this game over a year ago (that’s why I should have written this review sooner...)



Story and Characters
I was very interested to play this game when it came out, as I am with most new horror games, and seeing what new devs have to offer. The title screen definitely evokes a sense of mystery, who is this girl? And the features listed made it sound all the more enticing.

The main plot of the game involves you playing as Akana Amizade just chilling in her apartment, who suddenly receives a call from her good friend Liling, informing her that her forgotten friend Iblis is in possible danger. Akana, curious to know more about memories of her friendship with Iblis, decides to contact her home, which ends up with the maid, Bonne, inviting her round to visit. Strange stuff starts happening all of a sudden, such as weird visions and nightmares. An interesting journey with lots of twists and turns awaits Akana...

Hearing this storyline, it may sound like it’s nothing groundbreaking, which is true, but it catches your interest enough to keep the average player engaged throughout most of the game. A lot of RPG maker horror games rely on certain cliches and plot threads, and being the dev’s first game, I think it’s satisfactory enough, with the execution being decent. I will say the game has a lot of unexpected moments, some more weird and out of place than others; unfortunately it also suffers from some predictable and yet out there plot points regarding the latter half which I won’t spoil. However, it does have some genuinely good moments regarding character development and it’s definitely interesting most of the way through, so much so I can almost forgive it for these flaws.

In regards to the characters, Akana is extremely humour focused but also emotionally charged, which makes her engaging to play as throughout the game. She definitely has some good character development with the others, both emotionally and platonically, and reaches the end of her arc. Though she can make unintelligent decisions and be a tad annoying at times with her dialogue.

Unfortunately, I have to say, Liling is quite the opposite of that. Despite being the main character’s friend, she isn’t seen for most of the game except to deliver the rumours regarding Iblis and towards the end of the game, which is a shame. I see her more as a plot device than an actual character. Despite that, Akana does experience flashbacks during the game some of which involve her, though I wish there could have been more chances to get to know her prior.

Bonne is a Overall I’d say she’s ok.

Iblis herself, I have mixed feelings on. She certainly does get a lot of character development, especially regarding her friendship with Akana. This mainly happens through flashbacks as well as through conversations with her Though I can’t help but feel maybe not as emotional attachment to her as I’m supposed to? Maybe I find her a tad unlikeable at times? But I can appreciate how devoted Akana is to her through it all, with various outcomes for the two of them. And you do feel a little sorry for her especially since

There are a few side characters, such as who only shows up for a small portion of the game. He’s a little irritating to endure, but is an interesting and cute idea for a character. And There’s also... who makes an appearance from the mid game to the end, helping you in regards to being another savepoint, keeping a death log for you and being too adorable. They even use voice clips for him!



In terms of character designs, the main cast are pretty standard but differentiate well. The other characters have more unique visual quirks in terms of their sprites and face busts I do like how Akana and her friends have multiple outfits throughout the game, that’s pretty cool. The face busts are a little uncanny looking, but work fine enough, with different expressions. I’m actually really interested in what the dev used to make them. I looked through the credits but couldn’t find it.

Overall the characters serve their purposes well, some more than others. Though I feel the side characters were a slight afterthought and a bit out of place, but they’re still interesting to a degree.

Honestly, I do not think the story is the highlight of the game.

It certainly tells a fairly good one, and I think the devs’ did a decently constructed effort for their first game. Though the writing loses focus at times. Or at least, the characters stick out to me more. I enjoyed the different character arcs, but it was more about the experience to me than anything else, in terms of gameplay, exploring different environments and memorable moments.

Graphics and Sound Design
Graphically, the game looks pretty decent. The mapping is well done and includes a variety of environments and interact-able objects, though there are some overlapping tiles and lighting issues (which were fixed if I’m correct). They can be busy and hard to navigate at times. It mostly uses standard RPG maker community resources, with some custom stuff. The sprites are good, with some cool little details such as little emotion bubbles and subtle animations.

The menus look fine, they use custom scripts if I’m correct. Though they can be glitchy and lag at times. I like how Akana is in the main menu.
The text font and dialogue boxes are nice and simple, easy to read. The inventory and pop up info boxes are a bit unfinished. Though I like the attention to detail in the diary pages, it’s very nice.

I really like the music in this game. I love the relaxed theme of Iblis’ home, and the ambience in creepier parts of the game. Some of it can be loud and intrusive at times. The menu sounds were very satisfying, but things like screams and Akana’s dog barking can be a tad grating.


Overall the graphics and sound design are effective and cohesive enough to achieve what the devs are going for with a lot of detail. Though there are some tile set and sprite clashes as well as some visual glitches.


Gameplay
In terms of ease of play and variety, Voices of Friendship is a mixed bag. Like most RPG maker horror games you’ll be exploring and interacting with the environment while solving puzzles and engaging in various mini games. The former half of the game involves completing various trials, in a section based on the 7 Deadly Sins. You will be exploring mazes, collecting objects and avoiding traps and enemies. There are riddles you must answer by entering the correct word. There is even an RPG battle section where you must fight with another NPC in their video game, which is pretty cool. And a section with a skeleton prom, and a dance mini game.


Much of this stuff is present in the latter half as well. You’ll spend most of your time exploring Iblis’ house and then various corrupted areas. Including fetch quests, many chase sequences/mazes and boss fights with the antagonists.

Unfortunately, some of these sections suffer from trial and error and clunkiness, as well as replaying parts. Akana’s death scream is incredibly irritating when you hear it too many times. Luckily, you have the option to skip text with shift but they’re still frustrating. I got stuck in the first trial word puzzle, forgetting its Deadly Sin themed. took quite a few tries, as well as the lake swimming section. The game can lag at times, which affects some of the playability of these maps, though it has been worked on. Finding certain objects can be hard if you don’t check everything, and there are some glitchy event triggers which were fixed but softlocked the game.

The game has various deaths that the player can discover, which are then recorded in the death log. Think of the bad ends from Corpse Party. They can be found by failing in various ways, such as running out of time, taking the wrong turn on a path, failing a chase sequence and so on.

There are many of them to find which encourages the player to explore thoroughly. They all have unique descriptions and names. You even get a special reward at the end of the game if you get them all and the developers were kind enough to provide a walkthrough in case you need helping finding a particular death. Some in particular are a little obtuse and frustrating to find. But they are carried over in different saves, thank goodness.

You can also find Iblis’ diary pages scattered throughout the game, which are important for certain endings. This game has a few different endings, the better ones harder to get than the others. The guide also covers these. I was able to get all the endings. They can be quite difficult to figure out and can take some replaying at times.
Overall, I appreciate how varied the gameplay was and enjoyed it, despite how frustrating it could be at times. I think it could have been tweaked some more, with maybe some sections reduced or more save points/hints. Finding the different deaths was a lot of fun, I’m glad the devs added that, as well as a walkthrough. The endings were a lot of effort, but the best ending was ultimately satisfying enough for me.

Random thoughts
I decided to include a list of random thoughts I had during my playthrough of the game. This game contains a lot of humour and references, which are nice to see, but can be immersion breaking at times. It includes spoilers, so don’t read if you haven’t played the game!





Final thoughts
I really enjoyed playing Voices of Friendship when I did, if I could play it again from fresh I would. It was a decent length,(maybe a little long at times) if several hours, so it will keep the player occupied for a bit. I played it over a few weeks, but played a lot at once because I was enjoying it so much! The developers clearly put a lot of passion into it, and their personalities seep through into the writing, referential humour as well as the graphics. The game admittedly does suffer from some story and gameplay issues, and is overall mixed in terms of quality. It does contain a lot of humour, which isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I think for a first game, it’s pretty good and it’s worth a play or watching a let’s play of. Also, the bonus room is a really nice reward, with lots of cool information on the game and interactions with the devs. The true ending leaves a hook for a sequel, that the developers’ held a poll for to see if people were interested. Though I’m not sure of the potential, due to the story being mostly finished, I’m definitely interested in their future works, and will finish playing Hobbledehoy soon!