There are five difficulty levels to play on, but not all songs are represented in all five. Only 149 songs are available to play in Easy, 216 in Normal and 224 in Hard. Most songs must be beaten in Hard mode to unlock Extreme, and a select few then unlock Extra Extreme. I’m most at home in Hard currently, though I’m slowly working my way into Extreme. I can only imagine Extra Extreme would kill me, so I will never go that far.

Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Future Tone is a very arcade experience, built for the rhythm game fan whose main motivation is reaching the highest score with the fewest flubs possible. There are other reasons to play, such as earning Vocaloid Points (VP) and using them to unlock new modules (costumes) for the game’s various characters. There are several hundred to collect, from basic color swaps to special Sega-themed cosplay costumes.

As much as I love playing dress-up, I’m perfectly content pawing through the massive music archive and playing for score. For my $53.99 there’s no greater feeling that finishing up my favorite song and realizing I hadn’t missed a beat.

Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Future Tone doesn’t miss many beats. Though a couple of my more recent favorite Miku tunes didn’t make the cut (notably “Love Song,” featured in last year’s Project Diva X), I am overwhelmed by what Sega’s latest vocaloid rhythm game has to offer.