When I tried to get the legendary rocker Fret to join my band in the game People of Note, I realized it felt like a classic trope – convincing a grumpy veteran with youthful energy, much like Cid in Final Fantasy VII. This game clearly loves Final Fantasy, but it’s not a copycat. After playing a demo, it’s obvious People of Note isn’t shy about its influences, but it confidently builds on them with a unique rhythmic world where music is central to everything – from power to how characters connect.
People of Note is a musical adventure set in the world of “Note,” where different cities showcase various music genres. The story follows Cadence, a young pop singer whose solo performance isn’t selected in a major competition. Discouraged, she embarks on a journey to form a band, discover other musical styles, and unexpectedly finds herself battling a powerful threat.
My demo took place in Durandis, a city aptly named – it’s literally built into and out of massive rock formations! The city is constructed on the edges of a canyon, with buildings balanced on tall, rocky spires, and everyone who lives there loves rock music. It immediately reminded me of classic Final Fantasy games, especially those from the PlayStation 1 era. Like those games, People of Note uses fixed camera angles to show off detailed environments and beautiful backgrounds. If Durandis is any indication, the whole game is full of charm.
The city is divided into districts, each with its own rock music style – like punk, metal, or grunge. This influences everything from the area’s look and the way people talk, to the music you hear. It’s a neat way to make the city feel lively and unique.
Durandis is under attack by the Homesteaders, a group determined to replace rock music with country. The game, People of Note, embraces its silly premise with a playful tone and lots of puns – some are clever, others fall flat. I especially appreciated a small detail like a shop with a cage containing a bird and a sign reading “Free Bird.” However, I wasn’t a fan of a strange creature called an “Acorgian” – a dog that’s also an accordion.
Even though the game has a few weak jokes, People of Note writes with a lively and playful style, clearly influenced by games like Final Fantasy. During a preview, the game director, Jason Wishnov, mentioned Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy IX as key inspirations. I’m excited to see more of this music-filled world, but I’m not yet convinced the story and humor will hold up well over a longer play session.
What really drew me into the game is the combat system – it’s a fresh and creative take on turn-based battles. It’s an active system, meaning you have to time your button presses during attacks to make them stronger. But the unique part is the ‘Stanza’ system, which displays the turn order for both your team and the enemies, similar to what you might find in Final Fantasy X. This lets you plan ahead, and it gets even more interesting because each character uses a different music genre. Each Stanza shows which genre is active, and this can increase the power of your attacks and abilities. For instance, a ‘pop’ Stanza might make Cadence’s skills more effective, and using those skills at the right moment within the Stanza could give them even more of a boost.
Battles require a lot of strategic thinking. You need to carefully plan each turn, considering when to use different musical genres alongside your usual attacks and healing. The game features a “Beat Points” system, similar to Bravely Default, which controls how often you can use special skills, and a “Harmony” meter that builds up to powerful team attacks. You can further customize characters with “Songstones” that change their abilities, and then enhance those abilities even more with “Remix Stones” – these can add effects like healing whenever you use a specific skill. Even in my brief time with the game, I was impressed by the many ways to build and customize a team, and I’m excited to see how that expands with a full party.
The combat system has a lot of potential for complexity and interesting challenges, particularly during boss fights which introduce unique mechanics, like bosses gaining power after a set number of attacks. What’s really cool is how it connects to the game’s overall style – switching between musical genres actually changes how the combat feels and flows.
I’m intrigued by People of Note – its unique world and fresh take on turn-based battles have definitely caught my attention. However, I’m a little worried the constant jokes and banter might get old after a while, and I hope the combat system stays engaging as you add more characters to your team.
People of Note has a lot of potential, and I’m eager to see if it can fully deliver on that promise and become something truly exceptional.
Read More
- All Itzaland Animal Locations in Infinity Nikki
- Exclusive: First Look At PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie Toys
- All Golden Ball Locations in Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties
- Super Animal Royale: All Mole Transportation Network Locations Guide
- James Gandolfini’s Top 10 Tony Soprano Performances On The Sopranos
- Power Rangers’ New Reboot Can Finally Fix a 30-Year-Old Rita Repulsa Mistake
- Unlocking the Jaunty Bundle in Nightingale: What You Need to Know!
- Elder Scrolls 6 Has to Overcome an RPG Problem That Bethesda Has Made With Recent Games
- Banks & Tokens: Oh, the Drama! 🎭
- Firefly’s Most Problematic Character Still Deserves Better 23 Years Later
2026-02-18 19:27