Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X Review - Earn Voltage By Performing Well on Stage

Written by Brandon Hofer  on September 06, 2016

Reviews: The cloud prisms have run out of energy which means no one can really sing anymore so it is your job to earn enough voltage to fill up those prisms.

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Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X is the latest title in the popular Hatsune Miku franchise. For those who aren’t familiar with it these are rhythm based games where you need to push the buttons on your controller in time with the music. It is similar to something like Guitar Hero although you are pushing buttons on your controller instead of holding a plastic guitar and the Hatsune Miku titles come out of Japan.

In Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X there are five cloud prisms that have lost their energy and it is your job to fill the prisms with voltage so that energy can be restored. You earn this voltage by playing through a plethora of songs in five different styles. There is the “Classic” cloud, “Cute” cloud, “Cool” cloud, “Elegant” cloud and the “Quirky” cloud. Each cloud has a number of different songs you need to perform and once you earn enough voltage you will have the main event to play through. If you successfully get through the main event then you will have fully restored the energy in the cloud prisms and the next cloud that needs your help will be unlocked. This is essentially the “career” portion of the game.



As you bring these cloud prisms back online other things will open up for you. You will begin receiving “Event Requests” where you need to put on a music festival. With these you tend to play a few songs back to back and have to try and really rack up the points to put on a great festival and reach your goal. With these you pick the songs you want to use, how you want to arrange the characters and the stage you want to perform on (within reason...not all of the stages are available all of the time). You can also customize your character by putting on different items. You need to experiment what goes together well because if you find the right combination then you will get a really nice boost to your stats which will make it easier to get that high score you are trying to hit.

In addition to the rhythm based gameplay there are other considerations that must be made. You have a friendship meter with each character and you need to do what you can to increase that. You can increase your friendship by giving gifts to different characters but you need to pay attention to what they like. If you give someone a microphone, for example, and they don’t want one then their friendship level with you might actually lower. On the other side if you really nail it then they will like you more and you will become closer. There are five different gift categories with food, toys, interior, music and culture. Additionally you can remodel your room’s theme with a number of different themes you will earn as you play the game. There is your default theme and then the “kitty room,” “nightclub,” “Christmas party,” “Under the Sakura” and many more.



If you don’t have time for structured gameplay you can always go to the free play option and just play the music you want. Of course the more cloud prisms you have unlocked the more music you will have. You won’t be able to play the last songs you get if you are just beginning, for example. There is also the concert editor where you can create your own videos as well as watch them. It is pretty cool and something that should keep Hatsune Miku fans busy for a little while. Additionally there is the photo studio where you can take pictures of the characters in the game by rotating and resizing them, changing the angle and more.

This is my first foray into the Hatsune Miku franchise and I have to say it is enjoyable overall. It seems like they could have put more songs in the game but that is my only real gripe. I enjoyed the content that was there and I generally enjoy rhythm based games. This is very different than what I normally play though so it was a refreshing change of pace. If you haven’t given this series a chance yet and you enjoy Japanese culture and music then I highly recommend you give this a shot. If you are a fan of the franchise then you pretty much know what to expect here.