Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Future Tone (free-to-play PS4) Out Now

Hi all,

It probably won't get much love around here, but Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Future Tone just dropped early this morning on PS Store. It's free-to-play (comes with two songs). It's a rhythm-action game from SEGA, based around the apparently very successful and long-running Hatsune Miku (virtual singer or Vocaloid) IP. I was new to the franchise, having recently picked up Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X on PS4 and was instantly impressed (and quickly addicted) to the pick-up-and-play, just-one-more-go gameplay aspect. It can be as easy or insanely difficult as you choose to set it, but these are friendly games intended for all aptitudes (from beginner to mind blowingly expert).

Here's one of my favourite songs from the series, called 'Last Night, Good Night'. A strangely haunting (and emotive) song to find tucked away in a J-Pop rhythm-action game... Who knew?

Anyway, Future Tone has 2 massive DLC packs available for purchase at launch ('colourful tone' and 'future sound') each with over 100 songs from across the series' long history, making for a total combined of over 220 songs in a huge variety of styles within the overall J-Pop oeuvre. You have to buy these DLCs to get more songs into the base (free) game and it'll cost you around £45 for the bundle of both DLCs. The whole thing is basically a huge arcade-style game with almost all tracks unlocked from the start (costumes (300+) and accessories must be unlocked through using in-game points) in the easier difficulties.

Graphics pop out - the game runs at a solid 60fps and the design, presentation, typography and animations are top-notch throughout. Every song plays out against a 'video' in real-time featuring your selected character/s singing and dancing as you button-match against often incredibly busy and vivid backgrounds.

Give the free-to-play version (now available on PS Store) a go and see what you reckon. This series took me by entirely surprise - a few weeks ago I'd never heard of it. Now I can't stop playing it.

I'm not familiar with the series but, having checked that vid out, I love the colour and styling! It looks to be a lot of fun albeit I've never been one for rhythm action gameplay. But, hey, I think I'll give the demo a go.

I love these games and bought Future Tone from the Japanese store when I bought my PS4 last year. I bought the 'Future Sound' pack as it has my favourite songs on. Haven't bought 'Colourful Tone' yet.

Here's one of my favourite songs from the series, called 'Last Night, Good Night'. A strangely haunting (and emotive) song to find tucked away in a J-Pop rhythm-action game...

There are a lot of incredibly good vocaloid songs that don't even appear in the Rhythm games. Welcome to the series!

I've looked at a few vids and the gameplay looks pretty tough; the button-presses appear to be so fast that I can barely keep up watching the video, let alone actually hitting the buttons!

Would the game's easier level allow complete noobs such as myself to enjoy the game? I am drawn in by the effects and the terrific sound, but I wouldn't want to be frustrated by the challenge level.

jawafour wrote:I've looked at a few vids and the gameplay looks pretty tough; the button-presses appear to be so fast that I can barely keep up watching the video, let alone actually hitting the buttons!

Would the game's easier level allow complete noobs such as myself to enjoy the game? I am drawn in by the effects and the terrific sound, but I wouldn't want to be frustrated by the challenge level.

You could always try emulating the earlier PSP versions or try the two-song demo for free.

Trelliz wrote:You could always try emulating the earlier PSP versions or try the two-song demo for free.

Yeah, thanks Trelliz, I will download the demo. I'm not one for emulation but the demo is a cool idea. I just realised that the vids I'd watched on YouTube were mainly at Hard level - which is crazy busy! - so I'm hoping that I could play at pleb level or something :lol:

.

jawafour wrote:
Trelliz wrote:You could always try emulating the earlier PSP versions or try the two-song demo for free.

Yeah, thanks Trelliz, I will download the demo. I'm not one for emulation but the demo is a cool idea. I just realised that the vids I'd watched on YouTube were mainly at Hard level - which is crazy busy! - so I'm hoping that I could play at pleb level or something .

Of the 200+ songs I think 149 have an Easy mode (conversely, only a few songs have an Extreme-Extreme mode). Believe me, Easy mode is great - and just about manageable, even for me! You can choose which mode to play them in right from the start (except Hard and Extreme are locked-out until you clear the songs in one of their easier modes). Even playing on Easy will keep unlocking goodies (character costumes and accessories), so don't worry about missing out on stuff. You can even buy the massive unlock key DLC - everything available in one go!

I've rarely played this game, or DIVA X before it, in anything other than Easy or Normal - the guys on YT playing at Extreme leave me speechless. I honestly don't know how they do it - some of them just chattin' along on their streams as they button mash - and they still get 'Perfect' at the end. Incredible.

But don't worry; this game is as easy or as difficult as you want to make it. I really like the way the devs have ensured that anyone, at any level of competency, gets to enjoy the game how they would like. There is a ton of customization (gameplay and controls) and although it lacks the video-maker that came with DIVA X, you can always just opt to watch the videos (create your own playlists and favourites) without even having to play along.

Give the demo a go!

Cal wrote:(lots of background info)

Thanks for the sharing that, Cal. I've just tried the demo and it's great! I am awful at the timing but, having played the first of the two demo tracks about eight times, I finally got a completion rate of just over 50% :toot:

. I am okay when it's just pressing mainly O and X, but when those left and right (hold) bits come in then I mess up. I'm going to have to practice a bit. I have to really concentrate as the amount of movement and colour is astounding, whilst the music is very good and really drives the action; I am a fan of electronic stuff and the tracks feed into that. It's just a fun game to play... this has been a real surprise!

This is really addictive... each time I fail a song, or pas it with a low ranking, I immediately want to give it another go! It's really challenging; I am pretty ropey at rhythm action games and the Easy setting is proving more than enough at the moment. I did try one song at the next level (Normal?) and I did okay (43%, I think).

The music is surprisingly good (I really like it :shifty:

) and the accompanying shows are excellent; I'm not joking when I say the character animation is some of the most realistic I have seen in a game. Even though the characters are anime-styled, the movement really looks good.

I wouldn't normally have taken a second look at this style of game but it's just great fun.

Hmmm. I'm sorely tempted to double dip and buy the English version. Buying the complete pack will cost about as much as buying Colourful Tone from Japan. Probably should wait for the price to drop in a sale.

jawafour wrote:This is really addictive... each time I fail a song, or pas it with a low ranking, I immediately want to give it another go! It's really challenging; I am pretty ropey at rhythm action games and the Easy setting is proving more than enough at the moment. I did try one song at the next level (Normal?) and I did okay (43%, I think).

The music is surprisingly good (I really like it ) and the accompanying shows are excellent; I'm not joking when I say the character animation is some of the most realistic I have seen in a game. Even though the characters are anime-styled, the movement really looks good.

I wouldn't normally have taken a second look at this style of game but it's just great fun.

I think the visuals and animations (specifically the detail in choreography) is actually marginally better in Project Diva X - this is after spending three or four hours with Future Tone last night. Don't get me wrong: Future Tone is a fantastic looking package by any measure, but perhaps because Project Diva X was a smaller, more focused game (but hardly short on content) the overall 'polish' just seems that little bit more pronounced.

And I have to say again - the choreography (especially in Diva X) is just astounding. Yes, they're anime characters, but it looks to me like they mo-capped every performance. It's all very impressive.

Back to Future Tone: discovered another great song in the game last night (not me playing):

Lots of gems like that hiding in the 200+ song catalogue! :wub:

I've always been interested in playing a Hatsune Miku game but I don't own anything PlayStation. StayDead, you seem to be the expert (

): Is there anything out on PC, or should I just emulate?

Qikzmas wrote:.

I'm never normally into rhythm games but might give this a go since there's a demo.
I think one of the games also has some PSVR support doesn't it?

Garland Twinkleballs wrote:I'm never normally into rhythm games but might give this a go since there's a demo.
I think one of the games also has some PSVR support doesn't it?

https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-gb/ ... IVE3939393

Hatsune Miku: VR Future Live is 'free' in the PS Store. But it's not really free, in exactly the same way Future Tone isn't. In the case of VR Live you'll have to shell out for three DLC 'stages' (£12 a pop) or buy the VR Live Season Pass (£33). I don't have a PSVR but I've watched a few YT videos of VR Live in action - it seems to be more of a 'virtual concert' affair and less of a beat-matching exercise than DIVA X or Future Tone. It basically 'puts you in the audience' at a Hatsune Miku concert - which I'm sure for true devotees has its charms (you can get up close and personal to your virtual idols) - but actual gameplay seems a little thin. Still, I'd like to see a non-VR version repurposed for the PS4 controller made available.

Incidentally, Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X does have limited PSVR support, too.

Karl's brother is dead wrote:I've always been interested in playing a Hatsune Miku game but I don't own anything PlayStation. StayDead, you seem to be the expert ( ): Is there anything out on PC, or should I just emulate?

Qikzmas wrote:.

The actual Vocaloid software is out on PC, but outside of that no. Honestly unless you like Rhytmn games it might be better to just look through all the thousands of tracks on youtube.

Qikzmas wrote:
Karl's brother is dead wrote:I've always been interested in playing a Hatsune Miku game but I don't own anything PlayStation. StayDead, you seem to be the expert ( ): Is there anything out on PC, or should I just emulate?

Qikzmas wrote:.

The actual Vocaloid software is out on PC, but outside of that no. Honestly unless you like Rhytmn games it might be better to just look through all the thousands of tracks on youtube.

I've never played one! ...Well, actually, I played Audiosurf, which I enjoyed, but I think it's quite different? Anyway, thanks for the advice!

Karl's brother is dead wrote:I've always been interested in playing a Hatsune Miku game but I don't own anything PlayStation. StayDead, you seem to be the expert ( ): Is there anything out on PC, or should I just emulate?

You could try emulating the PSP versions - just did a quick look (in incognito browsing, I don't want that gooseberry fool in my history) and unless there's an english language version released in the rest of asia you may need a guide to translate the moon runes.

I'd never played a rhythm action game before (beyond a few minutes of Parappa) and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I'd agree with Qikz in so far as the videos are great fun to watch-and-listen to on their own, albeit I'd suggest that the gameplay is great to get into as well. It is simple but very challenging and addictive.

Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Future Tone (free-to-play PS4) Out Now

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Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Future Tone (free-to-play PS4) Out Now