People of Note Review – Composing A Masterpiece

People of Note is an ambitious turn-based musical journey where theatrical numbers and robust combat systems converge to deliver one of the most creative games to date.

It is astounding to think that music is simply vibrations. Sound waves arranged and rearranged that give us goosebumps, motivate us to get up every day, and make us chant in unison with strangers like you’ve known each other your entire life. There are so many genres to even wrap our heads around. From tone to language and variations, what makes K-pop any different from hip-hop is precisely what makes each of them special. There would be no other way to create a legendary ode to music like using turn-based gameplay, one of the vehicles responsible for telling some of the most powerful stories in gaming. People of Note is a breakthrough video game unlike any other, digging deep into what makes turn-based gameplay and music unique, successfully bridging that gap between art and interaction.

What makes People of Note work is it pokes fun at itself while reaching its storytelling ambitions. It acknowledges any artistic creation is inherently personal, sprinkling an absurd amount of jokes, puns, and references that will make even the most serious among us cackle. How can I not be disarmed by a Corgi-accordion fusion (an Accorgion) whom you can pet in every town? The fact that it never thinks too highly of itself is its biggest strength. None of us are immune to a music-based play on words: the full party’s names are Cadence, Fret, Synthia, and Vox.

A natural-born singer, protagonist Cadence is a starry-eyed, bold Chordia local obsessed with becoming a pop star, no matter the cost. This pop-infused city loves a hilarious, over-the-top boy band, who stand in her way to chart-topping greatness. Losing her opportunity in a contest to them in what is later revealed as a corrupt system, her resolve is hardened as she decides she needs to travel, searching for new bandmates to create a distinct sound. This takes her on a journey to the other genre-based cities in the world of Note, each of them beautifully realized with a specific soundtrack.

Like any grand JRPG, People of Note starts with a small-scale quest before Cadence soon realizes she must stop the world-ending Harmonic Convergence across its 9 chapters. As pop, rock, hip-hop, and EDM are the genres represented in each city, so does Cadence learn about empathy and new sounds when recruiting each bandmate. Every member of her soon-to-be crew is not immune to the tragedies of life either, with People of Note staring point-blank at deeply rooted issues in their society—and ours—including substance abuse, inflated egos, and self-worth. Each character, logically influenced by the genre they represent, is so confidently designed that I would not be surprised to see painstakingly recreated cosplays at the next game convention.

At this point you may be thinking, why hasn’t he mentioned the musical numbers? Good call. The main reason People of Note caught my eye was because of the soulful musical number in the trailer straight out of Broadway. I am very pleased to say that each chapter features one heavily produced musical video, with singalong lyrics and all (the subtitles can be turned off, but why would you?), that boggles the mind in how much attention to detail is in this vibrant video game. This care is not only evident in the catchy soundtrack and fully realized cities but also in its puzzles and turn-based gameplay.

From the surface it may seem that the focus being entirely on the music means other aspects suffer for it, but this could not be further from the truth. Let me spell it for you: People of Note has some of the strongest turn-based elements the genre offers. True to the game’s theme, every turn in combat is decided by the musical meter. Think of the usual 4/4 time measure, getting more complex as the story progresses.

Cadence and co. each have a genre that they feel most comfortable with. This means that whenever each background song changes to their genre during battle—remember what I said about care?—it makes their attacks stronger. These are but a few mentions that add layers of strategy to all fights. Because “active” turn-based combat is all the rage nowadays, some players will be pleased to hear that each attack has a rhythm input to press one single button at the right time to make them stronger. For the less musically inclined, this feature can be turned off.

Each character has a bar that fills up and allows them to do “mashups.” These devastating moves give a significant advantage in battle that can change the tide of it in a tight spot. Think summons from classic Final Fantasy. Lastly, we have songstones: special moves that can empower other players’ turns, heal or cause massive damage to enemies, with the potency of them able to be increased by using specific remix stones. I only mention a glimpse of the mixing and matching available. You can spend a fair amount of time on the menus to find moves to suit your playstyle. It is immensely satisfying to see its systems working in a way that lets players who invest time in it be rewarded by it. People of Note is no simple game.

The last piece of this majestic puzzle is, well, the puzzles, and they come in various shapes and sizes. In every “dungeon” (an industry executive’s mansion, forests and beaches with clarinets and flutes, the sewers), Cadence has abilities like “Forte” to push things around and make them fit. Others are straightforward panels that Cade must step on in specific ways to unlock powerful equipment. Shiny dots sparkling in most areas will pit you against a “Weird Owl” with a trivia question about the world of Note to see how invested you are. Finally, for the puzzle buffs, some random NPCs will place players in specific scenarios to see how well they know the battle systems.

Verdict

We are in the presence of a monumental undertaking. It is not only that it offers a tuneful narrative, but that it does so masterfully. Dazzling musical numbers next to a deep combat system pulling from the greats are awe-inspiring. A passionate tale about following your dreams, everywhere you look at proves that Iridium Studios produced a hit. People of Note is a perfect intersection between turn-based games and music.