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
Great review. I've been wondering what the game was about, so this really helped
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