Hatsune Miku VR Future Live plays on the idea of attending a concert through Playstation VR. The headliner, of course, is the teenage vocaloid claiming mass recognition as an international pop sensation. While the concert experience lasts roughly about a half hour, that’s really the amount of time you’ll need to understand the appeal of Hatsune Miku.
Hatsune Miku VR Future Live
Developer: SEGA
Price: 39.99 USD (Season Pass), 14.99 (1st Stage)
Platform: PS4 (PSVR)
MonsterVine was supplied with PSVR code for review
Players can download the game as a free download on the Playstation Network, but you’ll need to purchase the concert add-ons, which cost $14.99 each or $39.99 for all via the Season Pass. As for the concert itself? It’s charming. Much like real concerts, you’re surrounded by dark figures waving brightly colored glow sticks and chanting in tribal unison. Tight spaces and claustrophobia aside, the experience feels closer to what you would expect attending in real life. You can move around the crowd or on the stage and the acoustics would change, just depends on the area. This is a neat feature for those fans who want to forego the hassle and attend a concert without assigned seating.
There’s no score or challenges being tracked here, as Hatsune Miku VR Future Live steers from the gaming aspects for interactivity. You can use the DualShock or Move controllers to wave your arms in tune with the beat, although it’s recommended to play with the Move here. If you play along, the stage effects might change and the pop star herself will transform your glow stick into a maraca, tambourine, or a lightsaber with a odd sound. At the end of the performance, you can yell “Encore” to initiate an one-on-one show with Hatsune Miku.
In the end, the novelty of Hatsune Miku will defer to your fascination with the vocaloid sensation. After extended periods of waving, repetition and boredom ultimately sets in and there’s not much else to do outside of the concert. Only those who are really into Hatsune Miku should check it out. For everyone else, you can pass.