People of Note Review

A symphony of ambition that sometimes misses its cue.

You say that some of your favorite art is about how art is made, so People of Note should touch all the right notes. It does happen from time to time. It's a role-playing game where you sing and try to find a way to build something that matters to you and, hopefully, to others as well. People of Note is a bold attempt to blend storytelling, music, and RPG elements into something that feels both like a play and a game.

People of Note was made by Iridium Studios, the same company that made the 2015 RTS game There Came an Echo. But People of Note has a tough time getting that idea across in an important way, or even consistently. It was made with a lot of love, but People of Note is also very silly, jumping back and forth between serious purpose and tone confusion. People of Note takes place on the fictional planet of Note, which is composed of city-states named and themed after different kinds of music.

When it says "music is everything," it actually means everything.

Music is a big part of culture, society, identity, and even conflict. In Note, individuals live their lives like their favorite bands, whose music never changes, since art has reached a point of no return. Fans want more of the same, and artists give it to them because it's safe and easy. Cadence, a girl who wants to be a pop sensation and win Noteworthy, the biggest singing contest in the world, enters this planet.

She travels about Note to learn from other singers and adopt their skills in her own work because she doesn't think her current song is good enough. She takes you to a variety of places, like deserts full of different kinds of rock music, futuristic EDM cities, and cities where rap is the main form of music. Along the journey, you start to see clues of an event called the Harmonic Convergence that is coming up. 

Cadence's trip is split into segments, each about a different mentor who joins your group at the end. Fret, an old rock star struggling with his genre's breakup, is one of the first people you encounter. Synthia, a DJ with false syndrome, and Vox, a prince trying to figure out who he is politically and personally, show up later.

The basic point of People of Note is that art shouldn't be made in bulk to suit everyone. It should be distinctive and individualized. Every character has their own way of singing, their own concerns, and their own story arcs are designed to connect to this theme. But this is where the story starts to break down. Cadence picks up on things too fast, and her flaws, like putting fame before love, don't really stop her.

She always seems to find the "right" answer, which makes her trip pointless in the first place. The fundamental premise of People of Note is often presented as a fact that can't be questioned or investigated. This makes it seem like character arcs are not connected and not fully developed. Still, there are some occasions that stick out. "Under the Lights" and "Spitting Image" are two musical performances that do a remarkable job of giving people depth and weight to their topics by blending tale and song in a way that feels very impactful.

There are many jokes and pop culture references in the tale that make it sound like an over-the-top RPG. This kind of humor can be cute, but occasionally it goes too far and makes you grimace. There are a lot more characters and plot points that haven't been resolved by the third act.

It's fun when the stakes get higher in magical stories, but the ending is too protracted and doesn't focus on each character sufficiently. But the main excursion is still entertaining, especially if you care about the world and its music.

People of Note is basically an RPG with a lot of plot and visual novel elements. 

About 80% of your time is spent talking to people and following the story. The last 20% is spent on fighting and light wandering. In People of Note, you go from city to city, talk to people, do side tasks, and sometimes go into dungeons full of monsters and puzzles. People of Note's speed is surprisingly well-balanced. You never feel like you're wasting time, and you can choose to fight in battles or not.

There are no random encounters in dungeons, and after every fight, your party is fully healed. This makes it seem like combat is more about strategy than strength. Customization is a big feature of People of Note. Songstones are powers and buffs that can be worn by any character and come in pieces. You can edit these so that each party member does what you want them to do, like heal, attack, or help.

This way of doing things provides you with a lot of freedom, as in old-school role-playing games, which makes it fun to try new things and build plans. You fight in "stanzas" when you play People of Note, and each turn is affected by a different musical theme. You and your enemies both follow a set order, which helps you plan ahead and make good decisions.

Every character can use basic attacks and stronger skills that cost Beat Points, which are resources that come back over time. Quick-time inputs are one thing that makes fighting different. When you time your actions right, they work better. When you time your inputs wrong, they operate less well. This should give the music in People of Note a rhythmic layer that helps it feel more like it.

But in real life, it often feels very far away. No matter how the music changes, the order of inputs for each ability stays the same. This can make it hard to keep up with the inputs that are needed at times. It can be annoying when this happens, especially as People of Note goes on and talents need to be done in increasingly complicated ways.

Other than this problem, the fighting is very detailed. You need to think about the order of turns, how enemies change things, and how different types of music interact with each other. You can change the order of your turns or apply debuffs using characters like Synthia and Vox.

This adds layers of strategy that make fights feel like a smart dance. 

Crescendo is when enemies gain strength over time during boss bouts. This idea fits with the theme, but it doesn't actually impact how the combat progresses. Most of the time, it only makes fights last longer, which can feel like a long time because strength pools get bigger later on. This means fights don't get harder; instead, they get longer.

You may turn off quick-time inputs or even skip fights altogether, which might be beneficial when things get monotonous. But relying on these features makes the faults with the way the battle is paced and designed more obvious. Making puzzles, on the other hand, is usually a good thing. As you progress on your trip, you learn musical skills like Forte and Harmonize. You can use these skills to make the world a better place. 

The first jobs are simple, but as you move on, they get harder and harder, and you'll need to employ a lot of different talents. These puzzles are amusing and a welcome break from combat, but some chores in the late game might mess with the story's flow. People of Note also includes logic-based side tasks, such as quizzes and detective investigations, that test how well you know the world and how it works.

These portions make the game more fun and highlight how imaginatively the game was designed. The photos in People of Note reflect a bright and imaginative world. The architecture, color palettes, and character designs in each city are distinct and reflect the music that's popular there. You uncover different themes and styles in each segment, making exploring these places fun. 

The music is definitely one of the best portions of People of Note.

The CD features a variety of music, including pop, rock, rap, and opera. The song is catchy and makes you feel things. The music that plays during battles changes depending on where you are and who you are with. This makes you feel like you're really in People of Note, which aligns with the basic theme. Musical acts that are fully animated bring the characters and their feelings to life in a way that words alone can't.

These moments feel like scenes from a Broadway production, and they elevate the whole thing with a touch of spectacle. Voice acting is another fantastic thing about People of Note. The actors do a terrific job of bringing the characters' personalities and connections to life. When the delivery captures the scene, it's easier to stay interested in a story, even if the writing isn't great. 

People of Note aims to mix genres, but it doesn't do so well. The tale is mostly about mixing different kinds of music; there aren't many scenes that really get into this. This wasted opportunity makes the experience feel a little lacking, especially given the potential for innovation. 

People of Note is like attending a concert with a terrible set list, if you want to borrow a musical analogy. There are times when everything works flawlessly together, and you remember how big People of Note's goals were. But there are also occasions when the performance loses its direction, reverting to earlier beats and ideas without fully exploring their possibilities. 

The story doesn't delve very deeply into its subjects; rather than examining how difficult they are, it often treats them as simple truths.

The plot's flow becomes uneven in the later sections, and character journeys sometimes feel rushed or underdeveloped. From a strategic point of view, combat is deep, but the speed is odd, and the rhythm features don't mesh with People of Note. The world design and soundtrack are usually superb, and puzzles and exploration provide a wonderful variety. 

People of Note remains quite intriguing, even with its flaws. People of Note is courageous enough to mix styles and ideas in a way that sets it apart from others. Even if it doesn't quite reach the mark, it's worth viewing because you can see a lot of work went into it.