People of Note Review

Back in 1996, Square Enix and Nintendo released one of the time’s most groundbreaking and innovative games, Super Mario RPG. It took the turn-based system and made it far more engaging by introducing action commands, which in turn made combat more than just pure “menu-ing.” This is a formula People of Note has taken to heart…literally. As a turn-based RPG centred on music, this system doesn’t just improve combat, it feels like it breathes life into the moves, characters, and the very world itself. Here’s a look at the one that tries to put the R in both RPG and rhythm!

The question has been posed for decades: are video games art? The answer to this question should be simple: yes, video games are indeed art. They often come with artwork, writing, and music. All of this is wrapped up in a living world that the player can explore through gameplay. What is really rare, though, are those few games that get all of these artistic expressions right. People of Note is one of those gems that creates a marvellous experience in every artistic aspect the medium covers.

Given the name and theme, it’s easy to see that music will be one of People of Note‘s biggest artistic endeavours. This is most definitely true. It doesn’t take long to get the vibe of movies like K-Pop Demon Hunters, rather than from more traditional JRPGs like Final Fantasy IV. It all starts with a wonderful musical track that introduces the protagonist, Cadence. Her goal in life is to become a pop star and change how music is perceived. It is not difficult to see why she wants to see change in the city she lives in. While it has very interesting areas, such as the K-Pop district ruled by the adorable Yuna Verse, the city’s biggest band is the remarkably bland boy band Smolder.

To make waves Cadence needs to win the Noteworthy Song Contest to get a record contract. However, she doesn’t just want to win. She wants to change how music is seen across all of Chordia. She sets out on a quest around the world of Note to find new musical influences beyond the pop genre family – and maybe even some band members. The story is charming, and it weaves music into its tone and story beats. The worldbuilding has just the right amount of camp energy to feel natural. However, it also awakens some curiosity about how everything in the world revolves around music. Each part of the world feels beautifully designed for its musical genre, making for a distinct adventure that feels fresh from start to finish.

Even the combat breathes People of Note‘s musical theme. Each battle is a band-off between the party and the enemies. The moves are different musical techniques, complete with action commands. While action commands are great for battles and have been part of some of the best turn-based RPGs of all time, People of Note makes it feel arguably more natural than ever. It feels like something that has been thought through completely and is a massive part of the game’s DNA.

While all of these aspects are amazing, the music is not even where People of Note stands out the most as art, which is in its writing and messaging – and no, this does not refer to the fact that one character is named Sharp, even though these music puns and references are enjoyable. Rather, it stands out in how fleshed-out each and every character is, and it has some of the best inclusivity of any game on the market that isn’t directly built around it.

The very best example of this is Synthia. They are Lumina’s number one synth artist and are also non-binary. This is also not something the other characters make a big deal of in the game, and the only indicator is people using they/them pronouns when referring to them. Not even those who want to harm them resort to transphobia or anything of the like to get to them. It feels so utopic in a sad way to see how easy it is to write a wonderful non-binary trans character without focusing on the fact that they are trans. They are also a full-fledged person who is very wise yet suffers from imposter syndrome, making it hard for them to see their own strengths. That imposter syndrome is a core topic of her character arc; an arc many gamers can relate to.

It is not just them, but each character comes with strengths and personal flaws. However, where People of Note shines in its writing is that it never judges any character for having flaws. Instead, it recognises that these flaws and how they grow out of them are part of what makes them the people they are. Fret, the rock guitarist, as an example, is very conservative in his view of music and fears progress. While this has caused him trouble and continues to do so throughout the story, it has also led him to preserve unique sounds that no longer exist in the world. It is beautiful how the game puts the spotlight on how, sometimes, traits commonly seen as negatives, when channelled correctly, can lead to extremely beautiful and wonderful outcomes.

It is clear from beginning to end that People of Note is a passion project, and it shows in every single note, line, and character. Even the world itself is filled with wonderful puzzles to solve, which often reward songstones or remix stones. These work similarly to badges in earlier Paper Mario titles, making exploring the world part of character progress.

One of the very best optional puzzles is a game towards the end where the player picks up cards, and the opponent picks each of their factors until the player can no longer pick cards. It is a clever mathematical puzzle, and it is not even the only math-based puzzle in here. As someone who loves math and music, it is wonderful to see a title that respects how closely entwined they are. It is very easy to forget that music theory is highly mathematical, and even easier to ignore it, as many find math boring.

For those who don’t find math puzzles fun, People of Note includes a range of accessibility features to address parts of the game that might be troubling or bothersome. Everything from the puzzles to the very combat itself can be bypassed through this menu. This opens up a wide spectrum of ways for players to experience this. Some might not want combat or puzzles, and that is fine. Accessibility features like these are great, especially in a game that does not shy away from adding tricky puzzles and an involved combat system.

It allows People of Note to really play around with the combat and its puzzles, making them entertaining and tricky, even for seasoned RPG fans. This is without turning the game into a chore for those who do not enjoy one of its many aspects, because, in all honesty, while the combat system is very fun, it can be a bit mentally taxing at times. Combat is never as simple as just spamming the auto-attack menu choice. While that is a strength, it is fully understandable that the player might want a more mentally relaxing experience.

There is extreme love and care put into every aspect of People of Note from start to finish; it therefore avoids the common genre pitfall of feeling packed with filler. Grinding is engaging because each battle offers a different experience. Even the credits are wonderful and probably the best in a game without the words “Super Smash Bros.” in its title. The reason for that shall remain untold, but it is definitely something to look forward to, which is rare to say about credits.

It is a true rarity to see a game so well designed throughout the entire experience. While People of Note is definitely on the shorter end for a turn-based RPG, that is not in any way a flaw. As it is packed with puzzles, combat, and story beats throughout, it feels like a 50+ hour RPG storywise, while in reality, it isn’t too difficult to beat in 15-20 hours. However, there are enough optional puzzles and songstones to collect for players who want a slightly longer experience.

That is really the true charm of People of Note. It is a game that not only preaches inclusivity, but also walks the extra mile to live as it teaches. For those who enjoy taking their time with an RPG, farming and grinding random encounters, the option is there; for those who just want to experience the story, that option exists as well. You never have to fight a single random encounter if you do not wish to, as People of Note made the clever choice to let you choose when to start one. In addition to being an accessibility feature, it also pleasantly ensures that one is never randomly disrupted in the middle of a puzzle. This is a feature more RPGs should have.

The most hardcore players might find it a bit too easy even on the highest difficulty level, though. While there are options for optimisation, it felt overkill as combat was never even close. For a game with optional difficulty and plenty of accessibility options, it would not have been much to ask for to increase the ceiling a little further to better include hardcore gamers as well. As is, even at the highest difficulty, this rarely feels more difficult than more casual turn-based RPGs such as Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. However, even many casual RPGs have challenging post-game content to satisfy those looking for a challenge, which is sadly lacking here.

Despite this minor flaw, creativity, inclusivity, and just straight-up engaging mechanics make People of Note a very noteworthy RPG. Not just for RPG fans, but for anyone: those who like movies such as K-Pop Demon Hunters, those whose only RPG experience is the Paper Mario franchise, or even those looking to dip their toes in a new hobby.