We Are OFK Release Date, Gameplay, And Trailer - What We Know So Far
What happens when you mix gaming with indie music? Well, indie title "We Are OFK" seems keen on finding out. Structured like a Hollywood biopic, "We Are OFK" follows the titular virtual indie pop band with particular focus put on keyboard player Itsumi Saito, who struggles with maintaining a balance between her personal life and her musical aspirations while living in Los Angeles. "We Are OFK" was unveiled to the world at the 2020 Game Awards with the virtual band releasing its debut single, "Follow/Unfollow," which received a mixed response on YouTube.
"We Are OFK" has been one of the most polarizing topics in gaming in recent memory. On the positive side, many have given the upcoming title praise for tackling serious issues pertaining to the LGBTQ+ community. Others have criticized "We Are OFK" for being a corporate ad for a new band that nobody has heard of (the virtual group has already signed a record deal with Sony). Outside of the debate regarding the game and the merits of it, what exactly is it and what can gamers expect from it? Here's everything we currently know about "We Are OFK."
What is the release date for We Are OFK?
As opposed to being released all at once, Team OFK will instead be releasing "We Are OFK" is episodes. On August 2, the game's official Twitter account announced that its release would be a four-week event with the first two episodes releasing concurrently on August 18. Being based around We Are OFK's debut EP, each episode will culminate with the release of a new song, with "Fool's Gold" being one of the songs slated for August 18. Subsequent episodes are scheduled to release on every following Thursday — August 25, September 1, and September 8 — according to GameSpot.
As far as the platforms that "We Are OFK" is slated to be appear on, the game will be available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and the PC via Steam. While the game will be available on digital storefronts, physical copies of "We Are OFK" will also be available for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5. A vinyl record is also available for pre-order and will contain We Are OFK's EP, acoustic tracks, art prints, album art, and music from the game's score. There is no official release date for the vinyl record, though it is advertised for Q1 2023.
What is the gameplay like in We Are OFK?
Like many other episodic indie titles, "We Are OFK" seems to focus more on choice-based gameplay as opposed to a traditional gaming experience. Certain shots in the release trailer show speech options and game sections based on text messaging. According to comments made by Team OFK to PlayStation Blog, players will be able to "decide things [the characters] say, what texts they send, [and] how they express themselves as they go through their smaller journey of trying to make something they can be proud of."
That's not to say that the entirety of the gameplay will be like this, though. In the release trailer, one of We Are OFK's members can be seen riding a skateboard through a dreamy path flanked by palm trees, seemingly collecting cat-like tokens similar to the gameplay loops seen in games like the original "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater." A previous trailer hinted that players could play through the band's music videos.
Is there a trailer for We Are OFK?
There are several trailers for "We Are OFK," in fact. The first glimpse of the game and concept was shown at the 2020 Game Awards in which the virtual band played a short segment of its first-ever single "Follow/Unfollow." Another, more detailed trailer about what the game and the virtual band it follows was released at the following year's PlayStation State of Play event.
The most recent trailer for "We Are OFK" was the reveal trailer, which was released across multiple outlets on August 2, 2022, just over two weeks before gamers can get their hands on the actual game. In it, we see the members of We Are OFK go through the motions as they create music and struggle with their personal lives, all the while giving peeks into some of the choices and options that players will be faced with throughout their playthrough.