The Game Stop: Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai Deluxe

Photo provided by technologytell.com.

4 stars

Players will know off the bat if they’re interested in Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai Deluxe. Vocaloid music fans will appreciate the combination of dating simulator and rhythm game elements. Those who are on the fence may be put off by the style and difficulty, but will enjoy the presentation greatly.

Half of the main gameplay is that of a rhythm game. There are 48 different songs to play, each with three difficulties and two control types, tap mode or button mode. As the song plays, a track with button or tap commands begins to form. Hitting these commands in time with the music boosts a player’s score, but if they miss too many, the song will automatically end in failure. This is all accompanied by a background animation pertaining to the soundtrack. These look nice, but can be somewhat distracting.

Some of these tracks are insanely difficult. I struggled greatly to pass “Matryoshka,” to the point where it took over 20 attempts.  However, the sense of satisfaction one gets when completing such a tough song makes him or her want to continue playing.

Between the rhythm games, there’s a dating simulator-esque system where players are able to interact with the different Vocaloids. It’s a neat, optional distraction, but nothing much more than that in the grand scheme of things.

If that’s not enough, there’s a feature where players can choreograph their own dance routines to songs used in the rhythm game. It’s a neat feature, but once again, this is optional.

The presentation is very similar to modern anime, but all the characters are downsized and meant to look cute, an art style known as “chibi.” It’s an appropriate concept for the game.

The soundtrack is nothing short of amazing. There’s a huge variation of genres, from orchestral to J-Rock to EDM. Standout examples are “Deep Sea Girl,” which is a soft rock piece focusing on the acoustic guitar, “⅙ Out of Gravity,” which is more attuned to modern pop, and “Piano X Forte X Scandal,” which is based off of classic jazz using mainly saxophone and piano.

Project Mirai isn’t going to be swaying detractors of Vocaloid music. However, it might convince those who aren’t quite sure about the genre with its challenging yet fun rhythm gameplay and light dating simulator aspects. For those who love Vocaloid music, it’s worth every penny.