It's been a while since rhythm mechanics moved beyond Guitar Hero and Rock Band to empower neat versions of action games, like Crypt of the Necrodancer, BPM: Bullets Per Minute and Hi-Fi Rush. Rarely does it grace role-playing games, and then only in quick-time events to make attacks or defenses stronger. But People of Note is an upcoming RPG that doesn't just implement rhythm into combat -- it weaves music through the whole package, from the combat and items to the characters and world around.
People of Note's story is set in a fantasy world split into lands themed around musical genres. The game kicks off with Cadence, a singer dreaming of global stardom who must leave the pop land of Chordia to form a band if she has any hope of winning a Eurovision-like dream competition. Like any good RPG, she'll have to travel to other lands (in this case, those of Rock, EDM and Rap) to form unlikely allies to make a harmonizing sound that breaks barriers and beats enemies on their path to stardom.
I got to play a short demo exploring about 90 minutes early in the game, which launches on April 7, and it's definitely unique. Less revolutionary in mechanics than in marrying RPGs with the trappings of music, People of Note seems tailor-made for performers and musical theater nerds who want to see their art represented in fantasy games for a change. It's more Kingdom Hearts than a hardcore stat-grinding RPG, but that makes it more accessible for the music novice (like me).
The gameplay revolves around classic RPG staples of turn-based battles and gaining levels; the game's creative director Jason Wishnov cited Final Fantasy 9 and Chrono Cross as inspirations.
But People of Note has a ton of music, including in-game musical performances. Some of the voice acting of the main characters is split between spoken and singing talents, like main character Cadence (voiced by Heather Gonzalez, sung by the artist LEXXE). Others have one performer for both, like party member Fret (voiced and sung by Jason Charles Miller of industrial rock band Godhead).
People of Note's battle system is classic turn-based RPG combat with musical twists. Iridium Studios
That blend seems like it's setting up People of Note to be more of an experiential journey, but there are some hints of depth. People of Note has borrowed some neat mechanics from the best RPGs out there, turning Final Fantasy's ultimate move Limit Breaks into Mash-Up collaborations between characters (feeling more like Chrono Trigger's double and triple techs). Skills and skill-augmenting gems can be swapped in and out like Final Fantasy's Materia.
Most of People of Note's innovations lie in remixing staple RPG elements with musical flair. In combat, turn order is visualized on the bottom of the screen as a musical stanza, which shows how many actions players and enemies get. Most of the time, a stanza will offer an attack bonus that rotates between musical styles, giving different party members alternating boosts. (The best songs let band members take turns to show off their stuff in solos.)
People of Note is riddled with music jokes -- like this equipment retailer, called "3 Stores Down." Screenshot by David Lumb/CNET
A short jaunt in rock-and-roll town
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