People of Note Is A Nearly Pitch-Perfect Take On The RPG Formula (Review)

People of Note‘s unique elements keep it from ever just feeling like a tribute band, with the musical-themed take on the turn-based RPG striking the right chord for newbies and veterans alike. Set in a fantasy world that takes just as many cues from Final Fantasy as it does from Scott Pilgrim‘s cartoonish realization of music and culture as magic and power, People of Note builds on the previous stylings of other games to deliver something resonant.

The art and sound are the keys to People of Note being effective, and they deliver on that with plenty of charm and vigor. While the gameplay itself can be a little wobbly at times, the overall experience from Iridium Studios and Annapurna Interactive’s latest game is one of delight. Energetic and lively but building on a rock-solid foundation, People of Note is a great take on the RPG.

Score: 4.5/5

Pros:	Cons:
Sound and art design bring the colorful world to life.	Combat can become repetitive.
Clever tweaks on the gameplay give the classic RPG mechanics a fun additional layer.	Specific art style, music, and tone might not be for everyone.
Charming execution delivers on a fun fusion of style.

People Of Note’s Musical World Is Delightful

The real draw of People of Note is the bouncy animation style and broad musical elements of the RPG adventure, which largely work in the game’s favor. Set in the world of Note, where everything is defined in relation to music — up to and including governmental responsibilities and actual physical regions — Cadence is an aspiring pop star who decides her only hope to win a life-changing battle of the bands is by crossing genres and forming a unique band. To this end, Cadence travels the world and recruits bandmates, whose distinct musical genres and styles are brought to life with classic RPG spells, attacks, and abilities.

The art and sound design are naturally key to the execution of the concept, as it’s functionally a classic turn-based RPG with some clever gameplay tweaks to keep things engaging. The character designs and voice acting are great, with painfully earnest songs and musical beats — and that’s not a complaint, given the overall tone. It’s very much for a specific taste, but anyone who has enjoyed a JRPG art style or a goofy character-driven take on the genre will get a kick out of the stylings. It’s very much the kind of execution that never breaks character for a cynical gag, which works to its benefit and adds to the theater kid-style charm.

People Of Note’s Clever Tweaks On Turn-Based Combat Strike A Chord

People of Note is an easy-to-pick-up game for anyone who has played a turn-based RPG before, with a lot of game mechanics owing to the history of the series. Explore the musically themed settings and listen to the good music while exploring larger locations, buying items from stores, solving environmental puzzles, and venturing into a dungeon. The music-themed approach to combat adds enough to the standard game mechanics that it livens up the experience, with different party members taking the lead alongside a shift in tune. It adds a bit more strategy to the combat, which is fairly straightforward and not necessarily the most difficult.

Likewise, the timing element of attacks and spells for increased effect is reminiscent of something like the Paper Mario series, a game People of Note shares some clear technical DNA with. While the backtracking necessary for puzzles and progression can be a little tedious and the combat can blend together, the little moment-to-moment bits of effective design and colorful presentation are consistently engaging enough to never let that ruin the experience. Veteran players will know the ins and outs of the combat and exploration within minutes, and it can get repetitive at times. That’s where the charms of the presentation are going to be key.

People Of Note Is A Power Ballad RPG Fans Shouldn’t Miss

People of Note has an infectious earnestness. It’s cheesy in all the ways a cartoon musical typically is, theater kid and pop star energy kicking the narrative off and carrying on through the other distinct settings. There’s a sheer full-throated commitment to the world of People of Note that, like the older fantasy worlds that entranced gamers past, makes it feel distinct, strange, and inviting. If you don’t like KPop Demon Hunters‘ similar musical approach to an archetypal modern fantasy story, this isn’t the game for you.

Similarly, this is a perfect video game for players who fell in love with that Netflix film. The classical approach to the turn-based RPG mechanics serves the narrative well, a colorful fantasy that goes for (and largely succeeds) in fusing Final Fantasy, Paper Mario, and Kpop Demon Hunters into a fun game about charming characters. A great pick for younger players that older fans will find plenty to appreciate in its lively tweaks on well-worn but effective styles of gameplay, People of Note is a big and bombastic blast if you let it be.

A PS5 code for People of Note was provided to Comicbook.com for the purposes of this review.