We Are OFK [Nintendo Switch] | REVIEW

With its episodic setup and narrative where the player gets to make a lot of conversational choices, it’d be easy to think We Are OFK was going to be similar to titles like Life Is Strange or something that Telltale Games would release. And you know what? They do share a lot of similarities. However, whilst the story in those titles was completely shaped by the player, you have far less control in We Are OFK. In fact, it often felt like I was simply watching a TV show unfold at times, albeit with a few moments of interactivity on my behalf.

It made it feel like a very different type of narrative-driven adventure, and if I’m being honest, there were a few occasions where I wished it gave me a bit more control just to keep myself invested in the experience. Thankfully, a likable cast of characters and some excellent sound and visual design ensured that I didn’t grow tired of the journey by the time I reached the end of the final episode.

Check out some screenshots down below:

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We Are OFK tells the story of a group of LA youngsters as they look to start their own band, all whilst dealing with their own personal issues as well as the chaos of living in one of the most vibrant cities in the United States. There’ll be a lot of relatable moments for players and it deals with a wide range of subjects in tasteful and touching ways, whilst it’s also never afraid to ramp up the humour to keep you laughing too.

There are four main characters to follow across the game, with each having their own trials and tribulations that they’re dealing with. Ultimately though, they want to make their band a success, all whilst ensuring they’re happy in their personal life along the way. It feels like a bit of a low-stakes narrative really, but We Are OFK brings enough interesting (and, again, relatable) twists to its tale to keep things interesting. And hey, the cast of characters are so likable that it’ll be hard NOT to root for them, with the energetic Luca Le Fae standing out as a personal favourite.

In the interest of avoiding spoilers, I won’t go into too many narrative details. Whilst I’ve had the chance to play through the entire game, not all of the episodes are available as of writing, so players might not have had the chance to see the whole tale through. Just know that it’s enjoyable, well-written, and wraps up nicely.

“If this was a real band, I’d be a BIG fan, with We Are OFK’s soundtrack ticking all of the right boxes for me.”

Another thing I really liked about the game was its art style, which is packed to the brim with vibrant colours which feel perfectly representative of the cast as well as the city of LA. It’s stylish yet simple, whilst the animations are fluid and will make you feel like you’re watching a cartoon on TV. And don’t get me started on the music videos, which are incredibly creative and stand out as one of the highlights of the whole experience.

In fact, the music in general is wonderful, with some brilliant electro-pop featured throughout. If this was a real band, I’d be a BIG fan, with We Are OFK’s soundtrack ticking all of the right boxes for me. Obviously, your tastes may differ and I do think that your preferences will affect some of your enjoyment of the game (if you don’t like electro-pop this might not be for you), but I think the catchy beats are charming enough to appeal to the vast majority of players.

If I haven’t made it clear, there was loads that I liked about We Are OFK. Based on its style, storytelling, and music alone, it hits all of the right notes for me. However, it does come with a big caveat: there’s not a whole lot of gaming to be done here. Whilst players can make choices as to how they want to respond to both text and spoken conversations in game, your choices won’t affect the overall outcome in any significant way. Just about everything I did felt very low stakes, and whilst some choices felt like they might’ve had an impact in that moment, it never really came to anything.

Check out some screenshots down below:

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There are some light gameplay elements in the music video sections of the game, but they mainly consist of performing small interactions as opposed to diving into something deep or fun. Whilst there are some neat ideas on show, it never develops into anything that feels as creative as the other aspects of the game. It feels a bit tacked on if anything, which is a bit of a shame.

That’s not to say that these interactions are bad at all, but they didn’t do enough to make me really feel like I was a part of the experience – I felt like I spent more time watching We Are OFK instead of playing it. And you know what? That’s completely fine, but it wasn’t what I was expecting when I went into the game.

Ultimately, your enjoyment of We Are OFK will come down to what you expect from it. If you want a game like Life Is Strange where you’ll really influence the story and get to partake in plenty of interactions, you’ll be disappointed. If you’re happy to just see a fun story play out with a likable cast and some cool music though, you’re in for a good time. I fell somewhere in the middle by the end, and whilst there were some aspects of the game that I wasn’t so keen on, I still had a good time during the roughly six hours I spent with it.

Developer: Team OFK
Publisher: Team OFK
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC
Website: https://www.ofk.cool/