Idol master: Hatsune Miku Project Diva X review | Technobubble (2024)

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Behold the virtual idol, Japan’s gift to the hoi polloi.

To say that Nippon has witnessed an “idol” boom over the years is like saying ramen has noodles. In addition to real groups like the figuratively and literally massive AKB48, you also have a plethora of multimedia creations featuring gratuitous, uh, symbol and punctuation use such as Idolm@ster, Love Live!, and Wake Up, Girls! Just take a stroll through the “otaku” capital of Akihabara and you’ll know what I mean.

The more interesting development for yours truly, however, is the virtual idol. Personally, I’m not into the super-frilly andhyper cuteidol groups or anime shows based on all those groups I just mentioned. In fact, the only “idol” anime series I’ve managed to watch all the way through is Locodol, which feels more like a slice-of-life show and is actually rather enjoyable.

Hatsune Miku, however, feels different. Maybe it’s the gamer or tech-loving geek in me. But the concept of a virtual idol brought to life by technology that performs in actual real-life concerts sounds positively intriguing. It’s like witnessing the future taking form in the present, and that’s from someone who thought the whole Sharon Apple concept in Macross Plus was a tad hokey when I first saw it.

Apparently, I’m not the only one intrigued by the concept of a virtual idol. Since debuting in 2007, Hatsune Miku would prove to be a hit, spawning a bunch of multimedia merchandise and various products. These includes games, the latest of which to make it to our shores is “Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X” for the PlayStation 4 and Vita. Admittedly, my experience with Hatsune Miku in games was initially limited to using her costume and trusty leek in Phantasy Star Portable. It wasn’t until Project Mirai DX for the 3DS that I played my first actual Miku game. While Project Mirai DX featured miniaturized “chibi” versions of Miku (a.k.a. Mikudayo) and other virtual idols, however, Project Diva X features characters in their standard proportions.

As expected for a rhythm game featuring a popular virtual idol, production values for Project Diva X are stellar. The game starts out on a good note with Miku’s familiar synthesized voice saying the classic “Sega” catchphrase. Admittedly, the visuals can feel simple during segments where you’re talking to the characters and going through the game’s menus. Come concert time, however, and they get turned up another notch, with tons of effects that mimic an actual live performance. Project Diva X is arguably a game that’s almost just as fun to watch as it is to play.

Gameplay, meanwhile, is pretty meaty for a rhythm game. In addition to having its own story, there are lots of items, backgrounds and outfits to unlock, providing players more things to do. You can also improve your relationship with various characters by giving them gifts. Pick a gift they need or like and you can get a bigger friendship boost, for example. Then you have the actual rhythm portion of the game, which feels solid and is also one of the more difficult titles I’ve ever played in the genre, particularly for fast songs. I’m not even going to pretend that I can clear this with ease in Extreme difficulty, which sometimes feels like it requires three eyes and and just as many additional fingers. A large part of that is due to the presentation. While many games feature cues moving through linear tracks, Project Diva X likes to throw button markers at you from different directions and with various patterns. This means you not only need to concentrate on the audio timing but have to visually keep track of your cues. This can be made even more difficult by how busy the backgrounds can get. There are times I didn’t see notes pop up quickly enough on high-tempo songs because of all the visual stimulus that was on the screen. The game also likes to throw you off by changing tempo, especially on medleys, which can mess up your timing. Fans of the series and challenging rhythm games will love the difficulty. Newcomers and novices, however, might feel overwhelmed and discouraged. If you’re having a tough time, I recommend swallowing your pride and starting out on easy mode to acclimate to the game. It’s also easier to keep track of cues by looking at the target points for notes as opposed to the moving prompts.

Do well enough and you’ll accumulate enough Voltage points to clear a stage. Clearing performances, however, should be the bare minimum that you aspire to. You will also want to hit the bulk of your notes and chain combos during specific sequences in a performance like “Chance Time,” for example. Doing so will allow your character to transform mid-song, unlocking a new module or costume that you can add to your wardrobe collection. In addition to giving you a new look, the clothes provide bonuses through themes and perks. By matching a module’s theme such as classic, cool, cute, elegant and quirky to a stage’s aura, you can acquire a significant boost to your Voltage. Each module also comes with its own unique effect like boosting your trigger rate, automatically raising Voltage every few seconds or increasing your odds of acquiring accessories. Those accessories, by the way, can be further mixed and matched for even more bonuses that can be stacked. Outfits alone number about 300, so you’ll be replaying the game long after you’ve gone through the campaign.

Speaking of campaign, Project Diva X’s story revolves around you bringing back colors to various “clouds” or virtual stages that have lost their light like Anakin Skywalker. Doing so progresses the story and allows you to unlock other characters as well. The story is admittedly nothing groundbreaking and might even feel tacked-on to some. At the same time, it’s more story than you’ll see in a lot of games in the genre.

The songs, meanwhile, remain one of the strongest parts of the game, featuring a nice selection of catchy tunes. Granted, folks who do not like J-Pop will feel differently. If hearing Japanese pop songs like Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s PONPONPON makes you want to pull out your lashes, then Hatsune Miku’s tracks will not be for you. If you have a soft spot for electronic J-Pop, however, then the game’s songs will have you on Cloud 9. Once a song is unlocked from the campaign, you can start using it in Free Play as well, encouraging you to go through the story. You can also customize arrangements via a Concert Editor if you’re into that kind of thing. One downside is that the track selection of 30 songs isn’t as large as some Miku fans might like. The game also requires a lot of grinding to get everything, which might turn off some gamers.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X is a meaty entry in the rhythm genre featuring bright visuals, catchy songs and plenty of stuff to collect for obsessive-compulsive gamers. The game is a bit grindy and can be intimidating to newcomers. Track selection also can feel limited when compared to certain Hatsune Miku titles. Still, it’s a cute, fun and mechanically solid idol-based rhythm game that you can enjoy without feeling like a creep, especially if you’re a dude who’s starting to get up there in age like I am.

• Rating: 4 out of 5​
• Cost: $39.99-$49.99; Vita, PS4 (reviewed)​
• Official site:http://miku.sega.com/divax/game.html