The "JRPG renaissance" has empowered this musical game about using sick beats in battle: "I love musicals, and I'm a massive fan of Hamilton"

At Tokyo Game Show 2025, I had the opportunity to check out the latest games from Annapurna Interactive, which included the new turn-based role-playing game People of Note. This game seeks to deliver a traditional JRPG with a modern twist, allowing players to fight with the power of music. Speaking with creative director Jason Wishnov from Iridium Studios, I learned what went into the game's blend of a musical and a turn-based RPG, and how the developers aim to "bring more musicals to the gamers."

It's great to see, as turn-based RPGs are on the upswing lately, especially in 2025 with the recent releases of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and the excellent Trails into the Sky 1st Chapter. Many fans have been eager to see more games in the style of classic Japanese role-playing games, and with games like People of Note there's still plenty more on the horizon making up the new games we're looking forward to playing.

Tap lessons

People of Note has me taking on the role of Cadence, an aspiring singer seeking to make her mark in the city. Unfortunately, she soon finds herself removed from a song contest that could either break or shape her future as a musician. To prove herself as a worthy artist, she teams up with other talented musicians specializing in different genres to take their up-and-coming act on the road to different cities to build up their reputation, face off against fierce rivals, and take on the mysterious forces looking to disrupt the power of music.

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What's immediately clear about People of Note is that it's all about being a game that's about the love of music and the culture it inspires. Cadence and her companions utilize their musical talents to strengthen their bonds, while also fighting against enemies during their dungeon crawls in areas modeled after heavy metal, EDM, and rock and roll cultures. It's essentially Double Fine's Brutal Legend by way of Clair Obscur, and I really dug it.

It's a musical RPG, and the premise and setting of People of Note totally match the sense of optimism and cheerfulness that many classic JRPGs had, and that's totally something that the developers want to lean into with this game. In my chat with creative director Jason Wishnov, he states that one of the driving motivators for People of Note is to build a musical experience within an RPG.

"I love musicals, and I'm a massive fan of Hamilton, and it really got me thinking – 'Why aren't more games using music in this way?", said the creative director. "Music has a way of connecting us so deeply, and not everyone indeed loves stage musicals like the ones of Broadway, but you know what a lot of people do love? Disney movies. Just seeing those musical elements in narratives has such a way of getting people to connect with them. You just can't beat having a catchy song, and we wanted to bring that into video games in a way that I haven't seen before. There have been a few other musical games out there, but we hope to bring about a shift that will lead to more musicals. I want to help bring more musicals to the gamers out there."

My demo has me exploring a heavy metal dungeon with Cadence and her party, which helps me get into the flow of how battles work, showcasing People of Note's unique yet intriguing spin on special attacks. The battles play out similarly to a turn-based RPG, where you send commands out to your party members to execute attacks, defensive moves, and supporting skills. It's very similar to Super Mario RPG and Clair Obscur, with a focus on timed button inputs to maximize your attacks. Before long, I'm locked into the rhythm of battle, the flow of fights emphasizing the feeling of stepping in time to a beat.

And therein lies what makes People of Note's battle system so interesting – I'm actually adding to the beat of the battle music as I execute moves. Each party member is tuned to a different musical style, which also doubles as this RPG's spin on elemental attacks. One party member with an electronic keyboard utilizes special EDM attacks and buffs, which helps my other party members with metal and singing powers to enhance their attacks and deal heavier damage.

It takes me some battles to get the hang of the pacing of the timed inputs and how each musical style can be amplified and work with others, but by the end of my time with People of Note I feel like I've got a better handle on it. Things really came to a head with a boss battle against a heavy metal rocker that knows how to prime their strikes across several turns.

This battle is where I have to really utilize all my party members' skills to keep the group alive and in sync. Fortunately, once you acquire enough rhythm energy for each party member, you can engage special duet attacks to deal extra damage. This boss battle was a fierce fight, and it really showcases just how deeply the musical experience is embedded into the game's flow.

According to Wishnov, People of Note pays tribute to a well-loved genre, which is now thriving thanks to some fantastic recent releases that have been well received. The developers state that this new "JRPG renaissance" means the timing is great for their game.

"I think we're coming in at the right time with this JRPG renaissance we're in, not that it ever went away, but there's just been this big resurgence of games for this genre," says Wishnov. "Not just from Square Enix but from newer studios as well – the success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and so many other games means that this genre is doing well and we're coming in with our take on it being a musical means that we're coming in at such a wonderful time."

So far, People of Note features a really clever spin on a JRPG, but what really takes it to another level is its clear dedication to offering a musical experience as well. Stylistically, they have a lot in common when it comes to getting players in a certain mood, and People of Note is all about inspiring a sense of optimism for the journey ahead – which is something we could certainly see more of in games.

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