People of Note didn’t seem like something I’d normally be into, however, seeing Annapurna Interactive was more than enough for me to dive into this adventure, and I can confidently say I don’t regret it at all. In fact, this turned out to be a truly unique experience.
The story takes place in a fictional land called “Note” and your journey begins in the city of Chordia, where you take on the role of Cadence, a stubborn pop singer whose sole goal is to reach the top of the music industry. Determined, Cadence enters a competition called ,,Noteworthy” in hopes of winning and securing herself a record deal, however, she runs into two major problems.
First, the same band has been winning for years, and the public is absolutely obsessed with them. Second, the band’s manager is part of the competition, therefore he rejects Cadence and kicks her out. Chordia is known for its pop sound, and Cadence realises that if she truly wants to succeed, she needs to try something different, which leads her on a journey across the country to find band members in order to finally win the competition.
Throughout your travels, you will explore various regions of this world, like Durandis where rock dominates and which is divided into different regions where you’ll be able to see and hear metal, punk and grunge, Lumina known for EDM, Pyre, which is the center of rap and many more. As you travel, you’ll meet a variety of people and some of them might even join your band. I believe you will enjoy their dynamic while you travel together and face enemies, injustice and even internal conflicts.
Note offers a broad map filled with NPCs you can interact with and learn more about a certain place or person, as well as enemies ranging from humans to animals that resemble certain instruments. Every new region is unique, and by entering it, you will get the feeling as if you’re stepping into a living music genre.
While the story may seem simple and somewhat predictable at times, People of Note also explores deeper themes such as substance abuse, corruption and the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone in order to truly see everything the world has to offer. One of the most interesting aspects is how the game rewards you after certain areas with scenes that resemble music videos, featuring fantastic songs that will definitely leave you wanting more.
Beyond its engaging story, the game features a fantastic turn-based combat system. In battle, players can either attack or use abilities powered by Beat Points. They can also perform powerful ,,Mash-Up” skills that blend different genres for massive damage or rest to recover Beat Points while taking a defensive stance. Each main turn is known as a ,,Stanza” and it consists of multiple character turns. For example, during a battle with four characters, each gets one turn while each enemy gets two. During your turn, characters can attack in any order. Abilities depend on your weapon Songstones which you slot into your gear. You can modify them using Remix Stones or upgrade them using Ability Points that you earn in combat.
At first, combat may feel a bit complicated until you get used to it, and boss fights are far from easy, making it essential to find better weapons with stronger Songstone grids, which opens up a wide range of build possibilities, while smart use of abilities makes combat deeply enjoyable. This game will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat since you will surely have to switch your Songstone, upgrade Remix Stones or completely change your equipment at some point. Boss fights are pretty intense and full of surprises.
Each boss has its own Crescendo Meter that gradually fills during the battle, and the higher it gets, the more abilities they gain, becoming increasingly tougher. I often found myself panicking as the meter rose, sometimes focusing too much on dealing damage all the time instead of planning my next move strategically which is where all the fun actually lies. Sometimes you will have to think several moves ahead to outsmart your enemies.
Besides its combat, People of Note also features dungeons and puzzles scattered through the world. The puzzles are not too difficult, but they do require some thought and reward you nicely for solving them. If puzzles are not your thing, the game lets you disable them.
Although the map is relatively small and somewhat linear, it still encourages exploration. Occasionally you will notice something glowing on the ground and if you approach it you will see something called ,,Weird Owl Trivia”. This is where the game tests how closely you’ve been paying attention to the world, asking you questions about things you’ve seen or heard and if you answer correctly, you will be rewarded with a legendary feather.
The game is visually bright and striking. The world is full of colour, allowing each area to stand out. My personal favourite was Lilting Green, a beautiful forest filled with interesting characters, animals and engaging puzzles.
The characters themselves are highly expressive, with memorable designs that make each one stand out. From the very beginning, you will notice how different Cadence and Fret are and how, despite it, they complement one another perfectly thanks to strong writing and great voice acting. The villains are also well crafted, especially their performances, which become even more impressive as you approach the end of the game.
As a musical RPG, People of Note puts its soundtrack above everything, making it the jewel of this game. You will have the opportunity to hear everything, from pop, rock, metal to EDM, rap all the way to country and classical music and see how each genre is crafted with clear love and attention to detail, which is also noticeable during musical sequences as well, which are absolutely fantastic.
We would like to thank Annapurna Interactive for providing us with a copy of the game for review purposes.
People of Note (PlayStation 5)
In the end, People of Note delivers a memorable adventure with complex, challenging combat, engaging puzzles that offer a much needed break before or after battles, a beautiful world full of memorable characters, an entertaining story and incredible songs you will likely keep listening to after finishing the game. And one little tip - don't skip the end credits so you can truly appreciate just how passionate the people behind this game are.
