AIR

About

AIR is a single player casual simulation game. It was developed by VISUAL ARTS/Key and was released on March 5, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

AIR is a highly emotional single-player simulation game that explores themes of familial love and sensitive emotions through an evolving story shaped by your choices. Featuring beautifully retouched HD visuals, enhanced CG coloring, and full voice support, it also includes the side story "First Sky Chapter" for a deeper narrative experience. Immerse yourself in this moving visual novel with multiple endings to uncover.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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98%

Audience ScoreBased on 53 reviews

story4 positive mentions

AIR is a beautifully emotional visual novel that masterfully weaves together multiple story arcs, each filled with lovable characters and poignant moments that resonate deeply with players.
The game features a stunning soundtrack and high-quality voice acting, enhancing the overall experience and immersing players in its dreamlike atmosphere.
Many players find the narrative impactful, with the true route providing a profound exploration of themes such as loneliness, happiness, and the search for meaning in life.

Some players feel that the pacing can be slow, particularly in the early sections, which may detract from the overall engagement with the story.
The structure of the game, with its multiple routes, can lead to a disjointed experience, making it feel like some story arcs are less cohesive or impactful than others.
There are occasional issues with the localization, including minor grammatical errors and bugs related to achievements, which can hinder the overall enjoyment of the game.

story
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
85%
6%
The story of "Air" is a poignant exploration of life's hardships and the pursuit of personal happiness, woven through emotional highs and lows, humor, and bittersweet moments. It features multiple arcs, including a contemporary narrative and a historical backdrop involving the "winged ones," each contributing to a rich tapestry of character development and thematic depth. While some reviewers noted pacing issues and a lack of cohesive focus, many found the narrative impactful and life-changing, highlighting its ability to evoke strong emotional responses.
- “Air is a story about the inevitability of hardships in life, but our purpose as people is to find our own small happiness in spite of them.”
- “A story that tugged at my heartstrings in ways very few stories managed to do, Air is an absolute classic of a visual novel.”
- “The story feels very dream-like, taking place in a coastal town on a sweltering summer with empty streets.”
- “It has some great pieces, but, like they're from a different puzzle, they don't exactly fit together to tell a cohesive story.”
- “At this point in the story, I didn't hate Misuzu, but I felt ambivalent towards her; the ending also feels abrupt and unsatisfying.”
- “It's not perfect, and honestly, although I enjoyed Kano and Minagi's dream routes more than Misuzu's, I think the story would have been better off with a more singular focus on Misuzu given her continued importance in it.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of *Air* is deeply impactful, featuring a blend of heartfelt highs and bittersweet lows that resonate with players. The narrative, particularly Misuzu's route, evokes strong feelings through its poignant storytelling and character relationships, enhanced by a moving soundtrack. Players report a rollercoaster of emotions, from laughter to tears, culminating in a profoundly affecting experience.
- “Air tells the story of the 1000th summer, a tale woven with emotional highs and lows.”
- “It's an emotional story, with lots of bittersweet moments, but there's humor sewn into the story throughout as well.”
- “I got emotionally invested in this arc, especially witnessing the growing relationship between Misuzu and Haruko, her mom (who's actually her aunt), and without going into major spoilers, I was crying towards the very latter part of the story.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The music in the game is highly praised for its quality, featuring a captivating original soundtrack primarily composed by Jun Maeda, which enhances the dreamlike atmosphere and emotional depth of the story. Reviewers highlight the soothing nature of the music, the fantastic vocal themes, and the overall impact it has on personal musical preferences, making it a standout aspect of the experience. Additionally, the inclusion of a music library and voice acting further enriches the auditory experience.
- “The music, done mostly by Jun Maeda, shaped everything I would consider my own personal musical style.”
- “Music is great as always, the vocal themes are fantastic and the background music perfectly captures the dreamlike tone of the story.”
- “In regards to the music, the soundtrack is absolutely lovely to listen to.”
- “The music is very soothing throughout the novel, which helps to enhance the mystery.”
- “Despite this, it offers a gallery with all CGs and a music library.”
- “There's full-on Japanese voice acting as well as a varied soundtrack and lots of CGs.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
The graphics have been successfully upscaled to HD, enhancing the original art style reminiscent of early 2000s visual novels like Clannad. While some may find the visuals dated, others appreciate the nostalgic charm and vibrant retouching of colors, reflecting the developer's signature aesthetic. Overall, the graphics evoke a sense of nostalgia while benefiting from modern enhancements.
- “With the art, it's gorgeous with how the visuals are now in HD and the colors are retouched.”
- “Personally, I like this style, but then again, I've always loved the art style that comes from VNs by this developer.”
- “The art style is the same as in Clannad, so it might not be the best in this aspect, given that the visual novel was released in the early 2000s.”
- “For anyone who does their research, Air was originally released in 2000, so the art style reflects the typical one from that time.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the visual novel is characterized by distinct and amusing characters, contributing to an engaging narrative that influences players' own creative expressions, such as writing and role-playing. Despite some flaws in the storywriting, the humor effectively enhances the overall experience.
- “The story writing, as flawed as it is in this visual novel, shaped my humor and expression in my own writing, as well as my role-play character concepts in D&D and similar games.”
- “Each story unravels part of the mystery, and the characters are very distinct and funny.”
gameplay
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The gameplay in the dream arc features numerous choices that enhance the storytelling experience, allowing for player agency. While unlocking all achievements may require some time, users report no significant issues with the gameplay mechanics.
- “The gameplay in the dream arc offers many choices presented throughout the story.”
- “As for the gameplay, I had no problems unlocking all of the achievements, although it did take a while.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere in Summer is highly praised for its depth, evoking a sense of meaning, heart, and inspiration, particularly through the true route "air."
- “The summer atmosphere was fantastic, and the true route 'air' was packed with meaning, heart, and inspiration.”