Nintendo fans have yet to try out the Hatsune Miku series of rhythm-based titles, with SEGA only throwing the chibi-line of Project Mirai their way, landing even then only on Nintendo 3DS rather than all systems. PlayStation owners, however, have been much more fortunate, receiving a nice selection of normally high quality music-led button-mashing releases that bring the vocaloid star, Miku, to life in your own home. Cubed3 already looked at Project Diva Future Tone in-depth back when it launched in January 2017, but there is no harm in a fresh pair of eyes taking another look, right?
Prepare to perspire! No, this is not a new Just Dance entry where prancing around the living room is a necessity, but there is plenty of tension to be found in this latest Hatsune Miku offering. In the words of Gloria Estefan and her Miami Sound Machine, The Rhythm is Gonna Get You. Even on the easiest level, some of the faster, more upbeat Japanese tracks included (from a collection of over 220 if you purchase both the Future Sound and Colourful Tone packs) can cause issues for newcomers. Prepare to lose a lot, and if you think that turning on the 'No Fail' mode will help, well, it does, but the track then does not actually show as being completed. Also, if doing that, no experience points are gained for use in the extensive customisation section where the game's stars can be tweaked at cost (hair, accessories, clothing…or lack of, dependent on your desires).
Whereas music-based titles from the Theatrhythm series, for example, or even the Taiko games, use icons that normally run along the bottom of the screen, allowing for those in charge to not get too distracted by the backgrounds, that is certainly not the case with Project Diva Future Tone. Here, there are elaborate (sometimes scantily clad) Japanese models/dancers twirling and gyrating around against the backdrop of rather hectic settings. Meanwhile, all of the key triggers that need to be hit also fly around the screen before finally passing by the appropriate marker point that indicates a specific button press is required – be it one of the face buttons, D-pad, shoulder buttons, or a specific combination of them all!
It takes a lot of getting used to, trying to focus the eyes on the prize, as opposed to the busy backdrops, and when the ante is well and truly upped, only the best of the best will survive, putting off most newcomers, especially as there is no actual incentive to keep progressing, other than to satisfy yourself with the scores gained (locally or online) and trophies earned. Yes, a story was poorly implemented in the past and put off long-term fans, but some drive to actually encourage all of the tracks, including the far weaker songs (of which there are plenty…), to be worked through would have been preferred, even just as an optional aside for those that just want the pure arcade experience. Instead, everything is laid bare, with only insanely tough modes locked away for masters of the previous entries.
