Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F

Hatsune Miku Project DIVA F is a rhythm game developed by Sega and is the fifth installment of the Hatsune Miku Project DIVA franchise. This is my first experience with Hatsune Miku so I can't compare it to any of the previous games, sorry.

We open up to a music video introducing us to all the characters before being taken to the title screen. From there, we have the main menu which provides us with Play, Studio, Diva Room, Network, Shop, Records, Edit and Other; Other being options.

Play brings us to a choice between the tutorial, the main game and a game of our own creation that I'll touch on later. Tutorial teaches us the basics gameplay mechanics before proceeding any further.

  She looks distraught.

You have to match the button to the shape that appears on the screen just as it reach the shadow image with the clock hand on it. Most of the time you're just tapping the button, but some times you'll have to hold down on it and wait for the other end to come down as well. There are also arrows that will require you to press the D-Pad button that matches the direction the arrow is pointing with the buttons on the right. When you see stars that's when you need to flick the left and right analog sticks, and more importantly it all has to match the rhythm of the beat to receive the highest score possible.

The purple meter at the bottom of the screen indicates your grade. The higher the meter, the higher the grade. If it's too low you won't be able to clear the stage. There are two events that happen during a song: the Technical Zone, where you have to fill all the notes in an uninterrupted combo for bonus points, and Chance Time. Chance Time is where you're trying to fill up a star icon at the bottom left corner of the screen to bring up a large star you hit with the analog stick. This triggers a bonus scene at the end of the stage.

The game itself offers four difficulty settings: Easy, Normal, Hard, and Extreme. You have to complete stages under Normal difficulty to unlock Hard and so on and so forth. Each stage is a song accompanied by a music video. All you need to do is tap the buttons at just the right time and try not to get distracted by all the colors on the screen.

After picking a song you have your choice to customize your singer with different outfits you've unlocked. Before that you can just pick your singer. Apart from Hatsune Miku herself we have Kagamine Rin, Kagamine Len, Megurine Luka, Kaito and my personal favorite, Meiko. It's a good thing I write these reviews because I wouldn't be able to pronounce any of their names.

  I couldn't find a version of this in English.

The Studio menu comes with a live performance and a Photo Studio where you can take pictures of the characters in different poses. The former isn't as grand as the actual stages in the game and you only have a couple of camera shots to work with. You can zoom in at least, and trust me when I say the subtitles in the English version are no more helpful than what you see in the picture. While the menus and everything are in English the songs have not been dubbed.

In Photo Studio you have the power to select which singer you want to take a snapshot of and then mess around with different poses and expressions. You can select a background already stored in the game or upload your own through the PlayStation 3. You also need to use the PS3 built in save screenshot feature to take the actual picture you want after everything is set up.

  Hey look, Hatsune Miku plays Rock, Paper, Scissors, just like us.

The Diva Room lets you interact with the different characters in the game and modify their living environment. You can play around with a hand cursor that can touch them at certain spots, but be careful; touch them in a way they don't like they'll get mad at you. Alternatively you can choose to do nothing and just watch the character play around in their room all day. Hatsune was just rocking out with the air guitar at the time of my writing this.

The shop allows you to use the Diva Points you have collected in the game to purchase items as they become available. They're separated by customization for the performers, objects and themes for the Diva Room, and gifts one can purchase to make them like you.

The editor lets you create your own music video. You can either go with one of the songs already in the game or upload your own as a MP3. From there, you can select up to three singers to be in the video, their animation, and where to place the button combinations you want in the video. The best part is you can upload what you created through the PlayStation Network and share it with others as well as download songs other players have created.

Cons: n/A

Conclusion: Hatsune Miku is a fun and challenging rhythm game that requires a keen eye and good reflexes if you wish to get anywhere. If you enjoy rhythm games, or if you're looking to try them out for the first time, then you may enjoy this.

Final Score: 10/10