There's no denying that Life is Strange took the adventure game genre from the beginning. As a whole, the franchise is considered a cornerstone of the genre for its masterful storytelling and gripping characters. In fact, it sort of seems like Life is Strange is responsible for broadly reinvigorating its genre. Among a few other adventure games in development, We Are OFK plans to deliver a music-centric adventure experience to PlayStation fans. Originally revealed during The Game Awards 2020, We Are OFK tells the story of a young group of musicians trying to establish their careers in Los Angeles while struggling with emotional issues like self-doubt and heartbreak.
We Are OFK particularly shows the impact of Life is Strange on the game industry and the adventure genre. It seems that We Are OFK uses a structure very similar to the Life is Strange series while exploring themes similar to the kinds of themes that lie at the heart of Life is Strange games. In spite of its similarities, though, We Are OFK already sets itself apart thanks to its intention to explore the music industry, introducing plentiful new ideas to the Life is Strange structure. The result is a potential next step for adventure games everywhere.
Comparing We Are OFK to Life is Strange
Life is Strange partially made a name for itself thanks to its episodic format. Rather than releasing the entire game in one go, Dontnod Entertainment and Square Enix released one chapter of Life is Strange at a time, drawing out the game into a long-term experience that fans could savor. We Are OFK will also split up its story up into five segments just like the original Life is Strange. In fact, We Are OFK finds a new way to use the episodic structure. With every episode that Team OFK releases, the virtual band OFK will release a new single via an interactive music video, giving fans an additional way to engage with and appreciate the game's characters.
The content at the heart of We Are OFK will probably appeal to Life is Strange fans just as much as the structure. Although Life is Strange's protagonists often have remarkable supernatural powers that help them on their journeys, Life is Strange still focuses on heartfelt, realistic problems that its diverse characters face. In a similar vein, We Are OFK eschews fantasy elements and action in order to focus on the human elements at the heart of the story. It also promises rich diversity like that of Life is Strange; many of We Are OFK's protagonists are LGBTQ+, opening the door for stories exploring LGBTQ+ experiences.
We Are OFK Makes a Name for Itself
Although there are many similarities between the two games, there are still tons of aspects that make We Are OFK distinct from the highly successful Life is Strange, even if it clearly takes inspiration from LiS. For example, the music industry is clearly an important part of the game; We Are OFK picks up some fantastic potential narrative threads thanks to its focus on the band members' careers and their relationships with music publication, an industry that adventure games don't often focus on. Something also has to be said for We Are OFK's striking art style, which eschews realism in favor of lineless animation full of bright lighting and pastel colors.
All in all, We Are OFK looks like a pretty delightful and moving entry in a flourishing genre. As much as it owes to Life is Strange, it has more than enough originality to stand on its own two feet, and it's compelling evidence that there are so many more potential stories that the adventure genre should explore. We Are OFK could be a very important part of the PlayStation library, making a mark on both adventure games and on the music industry.
We Are OFK releases for PS4 and PS5 in 2022.