I’m still not sure who they are, but I like them!
If you are as old as I am, you may remember a reality show called Making the Band, where O-Town (where are they now?) introduced us to their liquid dreams. We are OFK feels a little bit like that crossed with Gorillaz. Split across 5 chapters releasing weekly, the game introduces the debut EP from indie pop band OFK.
Calling it a game may be slightly overselling this one. It is an interactive story exploring the lives of four would-be band mates Itsumi, Luca, Carter and Jey as they adapt and struggle with L.A. life in order to chase their music-filled dreams.
The story is told largely through cut-scenes and text messages choosing narrative options from on-screen prompts or on a virtual smartphone filled with gifs, emojis and abbreviations that took a grumpy old man like me far too much time to decipher!
Story arcs are what you would expect – music-industry wannabe struggles, friendship struggles, love struggles – however they are told very authentically and they definitely don’t hold back at points. This reaps rewards, as I definitely found myself caring about the characters, wanting to know where their arcs were leading – with a few laugh out loud moments along the way.
The characters are wonderfully acted by Team OFK themselves, adding to that air of authenticity in the vibrant world presented. The voice acting is full of emotion and creates deep, believable characters as these friends work through their struggles to eventually come together and form OFK.
Given the purpose of We Are OFK is to showcase the EP, its success is hugely dependent on the quality of the tracks – and so far so good. This review was written after 3 of the 5 chapters have been released and each chapter showcases one of the tracks, none of which have disappointed.
Each track is introduced via an interactive music video – the gamiest part of We Are OFK. These are almost like a series of minigames featuring tasks such as catching cats and delivering them through a letterbox, swimming and collecting shards or destroying statues. These may sound weird, but they are tonally in sync with the tracks themselves.
We Are OFK hits a lot of the right notes, telling a wonderful story about these beautifully developed characters fighting for their dreams. It is full of colour, charm and excellent music and I look forward to seeing how the remaining chapters unfold.
Reviewed on PlayStation 5, available now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Steam.
The Cross Players 