Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd Game Review
To the next stage, Hatsune Miku! (Note: This is a review I wrote before the game came out in English, so when I talk about release dates, it's already over!)
PRODUCTION INFO
Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd is the fifth main game to appear on a home system (besides the PSVita version of Project Diva f) in the Hatsune Miku: Project Diva series. The games are created by Sega and Crypton Future Media, which is the company that created Vocaloid and Hatsune Miku. The first game was released for the PSP July 2nd, 2009. Since then, there've been many sequels and spin-offs, including Project Mirai for the Nintendo 3DS. Project Diva F 2nd was released March 27th, 2014 in Japan, and will be released on November 18th in North America and November 21st in Europe. It has and will be released for both PS3 and PSVita.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay is much like that in Project Diva F, only now there are two new button combinations. As a recap, and for those who've never played Project Diva, the very first game for PSP only had you press the △〇▢✕ buttons. The next game to come out for PSP introduced arrow buttons, which you press at the same time as its corresponding △〇▢✕ button. The third PSP game didn't change this, but the fourth home system Project Diva game, Project Diva F, which was the first game to be released outside of Japan, came out for the PSVita and PS3. A new symbol appeared: stars. When you see a star, you flick either analogue stick in any direction.
In Project Diva F 2nd, we now have a bigger star added as well. This star has a "W" on it, which is meant to mean "double", and you have to flick both analogue sticks at the same time. There are also patterns that appear in stars, and the symbols slide across the screen on these patterns, making it a bit more challenging to flick the analogue stick at the right time; you have to be familiar with the song in order to get it right! That's how it works for the PS3 version, but for the PSVita version, you need to actually touch the screen using the stylus and follow the pattern according to the song. These new patterns are called "links".
STORY
There isn't really one story in this game. Vocaloid songs often tell stories themselves, and you can see that in this game, but there isn't one general story followed throughout the game. You can also create your own stories using the Edit function in the main menu. You use that to make your own customised content to play to songs of your choice.
WHAT TO EXPECT
This is a typical rhythm game, much like DDR, Osu!, or Guitar Hero. You only use the controller to play on PS3, or the device itself for PSVita. The developers have been increasing the number of possible interactions you must follow on the screen since the very first Project Diva game for PSP, so now there is quite a lot of symbols to keep up with in the game. New players might want to try an older version first, but seasoned rhythm game players should be okay, I think. If all else fails, there is an easy mode and a tutorial to get you acquainted with the controls. All of the music in this game is Vocaloid, and is sung by Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin and Len, Megurine Luka, KAITO, and MEIKO. Unfortunately, no other official Vocaloids have appeared in Project Diva games, although the fanmade Yowane Haku, Akita Neru, and Kasane Teto have appeared in the series.
CHARACTERS
Hatsune Miku is famous worldwide as a virtual idol. She sings however you want her to, with lyrics of your choice. Her iconic green twintails have become a symbol of freedom in the world of music for that reason! She has no one personality, as the entire point of Vocaloid is to spark creativity, and one aspect of that is to give Miku the personality you want. For example, in the song World is Mine, she plays a tsundere character; in Watashi no Jikan, she happily tells the story of her huge success, and in Nisoku Hokou, she even sings from the point of view of a boy who fell in love. Hatsune Miku is definitely the most loved Vocaloid character, and she is the star of her own 3D holographic concerts. Fans often mistake that Hatsune Miku was the first Vocaloid to be released. This is partially due to the meaning of her name; "Hatsune Miku" translates as "First Sound of the Future". However, the first Vocaloid released was actually Leon, who only spoke English. The first Japanese Vocaloid was MEIKO.
Kagamine Rin & Len were released together in December 2007. Because of that and their similar appearance, as well as the fact that they both have the same voice bank with a different pitch, Rin and Len are often viewed as twins. When they are not portrayed as twins, they are usually portrayed as lovers, but it is rare for the duo to not be related to each other in some way in the same song or story. The name Kagamine means "Mirror Sound", and Rin is supposedly from the Right side of the mirror while Len is from the Left.
Megurine Luka was released in January 2009. Of all the Vocaloids in Project Diva, Luka is unique in that she was bilingual in her first release, speaking both Japanese and English. V3 of Miku can speak, well, Engrish, but it still doesn't come close to sounding as natural as Luka's English. Luka has a chibi octopus form known as Tako Luka (tako being Japanese for octopus), where she is nothing but her head and her hair is tentacles. This appears as an item in the game (your choice of character can wear it on their head), as well as in the Megurine Luka songs Double Lariat and Luka Luka Night Fever.
KAITO was originally released as TARO in February 2006. He was the first male Vocaloid to be released in the Japanese language. He was revamped for the Vocaloid V3 engine in 2013, so he doesn't look the same as he did back during his initial release. His V3 release enabled him to speak English as well as Japanese.
MEIKO was originally released as HANAKO in November 2004. Her name was changed to MEIKO after her voice provider's name, Meiko Haigou. She was the first Japanese Vocaloid released, and like KAITO, she was revamped for the Vocaloid V3 engine in 2013. Her V3 version can speak both English and Japanese.
EXTRA FEATURES
In addition to the regular rhythm game type play, we also have a few other features; all of which appeared in the previous game, Project Diva F. First, we have the Diva Room. This is where you can go to interact with the Vocaloids themselves in their own rooms. You can buy items for their rooms to decorate, but you need to unlock them first by playing the rhythm game songs. Certain items can create events which can eventually lead to Playstation Network trophies. You can also give Vocaloids items in order to increase their friendliness metres. You can increase the Vocaloid's friendliness by petting and interacting with them in different ways as well, such as playing a game with them. Once you've maxed the friendliness level of a Vocaloid, you'll receive a trophy for that character.
Edit mode is a very fun mode where you can create your own rhythm game songs with your own targets. Choose from ingame songs or songs on your device, and you can even make your own video to play to the music. You can make comedic videos or serious songs to play; it's your choice! Once your masterpiece is complete, upload it to the Internet so that other people can play or watch it! You can do the same and browse for other people's creations. They've improved the accessibility and search ability for this feature in F 2nd, so now it's much easier to find different kinds of songs.
This Project Diva title contains 46 songs, including the tutorial and DLC! Some of them appeared in older games and have been improved in terms of graphics and gameplay, and some are completely new. There is also a wide variety of music, so there should be at least one song that any given person will like, assuming they like Vocaloid music (which they should to be playing this game!)...
Here is a list of all the playable songs in this title, by the official English translation in the order they appear in the game:
Ieven Polka (Tutorial) Melt Akatsuki Arrival Packaged Glory 3usi9 Two Breaths Walking Wintry Winds Love-Hate Clover♣Club Miracle Paint Pinky Swear Colorful x Melody Blackjack Clockwork Clown Thousand Year Solo (DIVA edit) Doubleganger Roshin Yukai Luka Luka ★ Night Fever Knife Sakura Rain This is the Happiness and Peace of Mind Committee Cantarella ~Grace Edition~ SPiCa -39's Giving Day Edition- Hello, Worker Romeo and Cinderella I'll Miku-Miku You♪ (For Reals) Meteor Kokoro Break it, Break it! Soundless Voice Close and Open, Demons and the Dead Erase or Zero Double Lariat Paradichlorobenzene Kagerou Daze Two-Sided Lovers Envy Cat Walk The World is Mine Decorator The Intense Voice of Hatsune Miku 2D Dream Fever Aikotoba (DLC) Sekiranun Graffiti (DLC) Kocchi Muite Baby (DLC) Yellow (DLC) Change Me (DLC)
OPINIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
I couldn't wait for this game to come out in North America, so I had it imported from Japan. I meant to review it back then, but didn't get a chance to yet. Now that it's coming out in North America and Europe soon, I decided it's time to write up a review!
I really love Project Diva. I loved it since before Project Diva F came out, and when it did come out, it blew my mind. It's a great game to wake you up or get you ready for studying, because it really forces you to concentrate hard with all of the different possible symbols that can appear on the screen. In fact, if you're having trouble studying, it's a great way to warm up your brain. It's my favourite rhythm game series, and it can get so intense that you'll be exhausted without even having to stomp on a dance mat. With the 40+ songs available to play in Project Diva F 2nd, there's a lot more to beat and the game will keep you entertained longer. There's also a lot more modules and items to unlock in this game, for people who like to get everything in a game. The only thing I don't love about this game is the selection of music... It has a lot of songs I love, but it also has a lot of songs I strongly dislike. I also found this game is a lot harder than Project Diva F, or at least that it has a lot more selection for difficulty. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though! I actually like that aspect, since it's easier to gradually make it up to the higher difficulties now.
I definitely recommend that fans of Project Diva F 2nd check out the previous games. They're all so fun! If you liked this game, you'd probably also like Dance Dance Revolution, Osu!, and Stepmania.
RATING
9/10
