When I first got the email offering to review a Hatsune Miku game, I had to go out and see what Hatsune Miku games were.  Looking at screenshots, I realized they were generally Dance Dance Revolution or Beatmania style games. So, I decided to give it a go. Now, I didn't watch videos or do much research in to what I was getting myself in to...That said I wasn't prepared. I wasn't prepared at all.  Let's get in to this thing and see what I signed up for in my time with Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Future Tone.

 

 

Graphically this game has a TON going on and this can be extremely distracting when you're trying to actually play the game. As you play you will try to only focus on the button presses coming down the screen; however this becomes difficult when there's a dance video with tons of effects going on in the background. All the characters are well animated and the music videos are a treat to watch if you aren't trying to play or do well in the game. This is actually a problem I have with almost every rhythm game on the market. Be it Guitar Hero or Dance Dance Revolution. There is also a lot of customization for Hatsune and her friends. You can give them backpacks, decorations for their hair, new clothes, creepy masks, and a ton of stuff I have no real clue what the hell it actually is. This is probably my lack of knowledge of the Hatsune Miku phenomenon. What I do know is there is a Space Channel 5 outfit that I purchased straight away because I adore that game. Weird, I know.

 

J-Pop songs really aren't something I dig. I'm more of a fan of Rock Band's brand of music. However, there are some pretty catch ear worms in the game that I found myself playing multiple times and on various difficulties. With a total of 224 songs across a couple of different downloadable options, there's bound to be something for almost everyone. The difficulty is the biggest complaint I have. I like to think I'm pretty good at rhythm games. I generally play Rock Band on expert and hit 95% or above, but here I struggle with easy and medium difficulties. This may be a result of me not being a fan of the music or it could just be the game is made for a more dedicated fan base. Whatever the case, it discourages me from playing for very long.

 

 

Overall, this game really isn't for me but I'm glad I decided to give it a try. It was something very different for me to undertake and challenged my review skills quite a bit. The graphics are good, if not somewhat distracting. The difficulty is my major downfall here. Again, it could be I'm not as good at rhythm games as I thought or it could be my lack of real interest in the songs. After playing, I decided to research what this phenomenon is and now I realize that Hatsune Miku and Co. have a HUGE following and tons of people are looking forward to this release. There are also sold out concerts where a hologram entertains sold out crowds with the backing of a live band. Let me know if you guys have any interest or experiences with the Hatsune Miku franchise. I really am interested to know what you think.

 

 

Game Details

Name: Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Future Tone

Publisher: SEGA

Developer: SEGA

Genre: Rhythm

Platform: PlayStation 4 (digital only)

Price: Colorful Tone pack - $29.99, Future Sound pack - $29.99, both as a bundle: $53.99

Release Date: Jan. 10, 2017

I've never been a huge fan of rhythm type games. I went through a time where I enjoyed rock band/ guitar hero, mainly for the fun of playing with others.  This looks more like a game geared towards people who like a challenge. Which I'm sure there are plenty of people who do.  Thanks for the review Spawn.