Annapurna has released another trailer for musical RPG People of Note, giving us a full listen to its big musical number, as well as a fresh look at its turn-based combat.
Yes, this is an RPG with rhythmic turn-based combat and big musical numbers, and I can’t wait to play it once it’s out.
Oh, and there’s a corgi shaped like an accordion!
Developed by Iridium Studios, People of Note was first shown at Annapurna’s showcase back in September alongside the Tokyo Game Show.
This new trailer gives a deeper look at the game. There’s protagonist Cadence singing catchy pop-musical number Under The Lights (its chorus reminds me of Rewrite The Stars from The Greatest Showman), with singer Lexxe providing vocals. Cadence is on a quest for stardom, apparently, and recruits an ensemble of musicians to back her.
The trailer description also promises each battle will be “a musical performance with evolving combat conditions and genre-bending mashup attacks”. We see glimpses of this in the trailer itself, with rhythmic button presses triggering attacks – though without in-game music it’s hard to tell exactly how this will work.
We also see more of the game’s world – a mix of fantasy and cyberpunk presented in colourful animation. It looks like there’ll be exploration and puzzle solving along with combat and extensive music videos.
It’s looking brilliant and could be the Kpop Demon Hunters of gaming if it takes off on its release next year, across both PC and consoles.
I just hope combat lives up to its potential. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 raised the bar this year for turn-based combat, while 2023’s Stray Gods attempted a melodramatic musical but didn’t quite deliver on its genre-mixing promise. Hi-Fi Rush, however, proved how intoxicating a musical animated world can be, so let’s see if People Of Note follows suit.
