GTFO is finally out people! The grueling co-op shooter, featuring a descent into the darkest pits of the Earth has finally been released from Early Access.

Now, we have seen over the last few years the rise of cooperative shooters, which normally center on fighting supernatural evils, Alien creatures, or the undead. Games like Evolve, Left 4 Dead, or the not-so-hot Back 4 Blood, immerses players into an intense and thrilling mission of wits, which requires teamwork and constant communication. Many of these games raise to fame and glory, while others just linger at the bottom of the barrel. But does GTFO raise to the top of the genre? Or will it be left in the Rundown to be forgotten about?


WTF is GTFO?



G.T.F.O (which you could guess what it means, Get the Feck Out, of course) is a crushing team-based survival FPS, that pushes players to work together or die alone. Players take on the roles of prisoners who have been deemed expendable and tasked with entering a massive underground complex to find valuable artifacts that have now been overrun by terrifying creatures.

To survive each level of the complex, players must arm themselves with weapons, tools, and resources but must also be conservative as all the above are limited. Work together to complete missions, unearth the answers about the complex’s past, and most importantly, escape!

The premise is extremely simple, but with all types of games like this, they usually are. But there are definitely a few things that make G.T.F.O rather special and now with version 1.0, I can see the developers have worked hard over the last two years to refine and polish the experience.


The Horror

From the get-go, G.T.F.O sets up everything perfectly for a nightmare fuelled descent into the bowels of the Earth. From a frantic and horrifying plunge into the depths of the unknown, almost simulating a dive into Hell itself, G.T.F.O makes sure you know you’re in trouble. After the plunge, players will see the complex, a massive multi-layered bunker that once housed all manner of secrets and experiments. It’s up to the players, who have been assigned by “The Warden” to collect samples and other important items and bring them back to the surface.

The complex hasn’t been stepped upon by humans in quite some time. Yet, what lurks in the shadows is far from human.

The atmosphere is rich and bleak, presenting an unnerving and never-ending sense of dread and tension. The complex is a rusted shell of its former self, a place that you could was once thriving but now only houses many inhumane horrors. Plus, there is plenty of fog for added atmosphere!

Visually speaking, GTFO really makes use of its fog, dynamic lighting, and decaying setting to really push your nerves. Everything looks wonderful morbid, and every corner of the underground complex will unease. Enemies while nothing to run home about are quite memorable and consistent through their ranks. Their dead-white skin, blackish blobs for heads, imposing numbers and otherworldly proportions will ensure you know what to shoot, but also be unsettled every time you see them, creeping through the fog, feasting on the remains of those who ventured there before you and lurking in the dark ready to attack.

From environments to the creepy assortment of enemies you’ll be fighting, GTFO has a hauntingly breath-taking adventure set up for you.


Gameplay



GTFO pretty much says what it does on the tin. You and three other players will band together and venture deep into the vast underground complex. The complex is made of multiple levels, each one more horrifying and challenging the deep it goes. Once inside, players will be assigned different tasks from The Warden and it’s up to you and the gang to carry out those orders, whether it’s finding important resources, data, or files the mysterious Warden wants their hands on.

Before each run into the depth of the Earth, players will be able to customise their load-outs, picking from a selection of weapons, and handy tools. There is no class system at play, but the developers have made it clear as a team, you each need a role and you need to stand by the responsibilities a certain weapon or tool you pick comes with.

Everyone can pick machine guns and grenades, but this won’t really help you consider the multitude of different threats and openings for enemies this game will throw at you. Picking different items will bring a particular and small advantage in combat and exploration. For instance, there is a glue gun that allows for sealing shut certain doors and even building barriers to slow down enemies. There is also a bio scanner that detects nearby enemies, meaning you can observe, plan and evade large groups of enemies when possible. Plus, you have turrets and grenades which help when the hordes of monsters come swarming at you. Everything has a purpose and each player picking a different item and sticking to a certain role will ensure you will live long enough to reach the end.

Objectives are usually a hunt for an important item or several of them, located deep within each layer of the complex. The levels are massive, often sprawling into multiple broken-off sections, made of dozens of rooms, and nothing is highlighted with a big, neon marking, meaning you’ll have to do some good old searching.

Ammo and resources are low, so you must use them accordingly and think 3 steps ahead, to ensure you have enough for the possible end rush you might have to deal with. There are lockers scattered around but having to explore and risk more supplies to find them is a great risk and reward tension. Do you run the risk of crossing paths with a group of enemies, spending those last few bullets potentially just to find or maybe not find a health pack? What can help are useful terminals that give little clues on nearby supplies or even where the main objective is located.

This is the core of the GTFO. Get dropped into the complex, scavenge for supplies, look for the objective, and most importantly, survive. Either by hiding, evading, or teaming together to take on the hordes.


What GTFO does really well



10 Chambers have absolutely pinned down the extreme, nerve-wracking dread to exploration and the nail-biting combat. Player teamwork is vital and the importance of sticking together, communication, and role reasonability is truly felt within the core gameplay loop, unlike so many other 4 player co-op shooters.

The complexity to each level is simply immense, adding a dynamic layer to the teamwork factor, claustrophobia, and above all the intensity of survival. This is simply no run and gun shooter, but very much a thinking shooter, with plenty of other elements to elevate it to a near-perfect tactical/survival experience.

Limited resources again only add to the stress levels, and having a few friends in your team will really show you how much they care when there’s only one health pack and everyone needs a boost of HP. All the gadgets and weapons have a purpose and allocating the right tools for the job on each run is important.

Visually speaking, this is a grim and bleak-looking game, and this is a good thing. The oppressive atmosphere, tight level design, and never-ending fig and darkness in certain sectors will always slow you down, keep you on your toes, and freak you the hell out when you step out of line.


What GTFO could do better?



I would only say that the main objectives are lacking somewhat. While I like the “key-hunting” aspect they have overall, and the path to them is quite interesting, it’s just a very cliché notion of “Find the McGuffin and bring it back”. In a game like Payday (which the developers were part of the team originally), there are a host of different objectives and mission formulas that always kept things varied and fresh.

Are there also some not-so user-friendly aspects to the social side of GTFO. While you can have bots playing with you to make up the numbers, the matchmaking overall and the nature of players dropping out can really ruin things. Matchmaking is very hit and miss, and the player dropout can be problematic.

If a player drops out, they won’t be replaced and those who want a break mid-way through a gigantic level, either must keep going or cut their losses as they is no save function. So, you won’t be able to quit the game and come back after 8 hours of sleep as progression is not saved.

I was also disappointed that the line-up of cosmetic items didn’t feel to have much merit. I originally in my preview said new attachments for weapons, new gear, and so forth, would have really added to replay-ability and retention. But what’s on offer now is very lacking. But really, these problems don’t spoil GTFO massively at all. And besides, these are things the developers can easily work on and improve through updates.


The Difficulty


GTFO is a mean game. It’s a brutal, relentlessly, patronising game you’ll endure in any 4-player co-op. But at the same time, it’s extremely exhilarating and rewarding when you succeed and work together as a team.

During the early access release of GTFO, there were things that really did hold it back and made these meaner moments feel just petty and tedious. But with some new inclusions, the experience is still tough, menacing, and brutal, but gives you more ground to play and play well.

Don’t get me wrong, GTFO is still unapologetically harsh and it will punish you and your team over and over again until you learn the ins and outs of the unrelenting world and gameplay mechanics. But for those who stick to it, GTFO can be one of the most satisfying and glorious co-op games you’ll ever play.  

But 10 Chambers have made sure you do have a fighting chance, providing you don’t run in all guns blazing. There are perks to equip before each run, allowing for extra damage, quicker revival time, and a boost of health if you so choose it. There is this, and there are checkpoints!

Thank you, merciful Lord, for bringing us checkpoints.

Playing this in early access without checkpoints was crushing and nearly damning to GTFO in the long run. Spending a good hour, or two on a map only to die at the end by a few rogue enemies did almost make me and my buddies hate the game. We did understand the intended experience, but man, no checkpoints, especially in the later sections of the game was maddening at times. This won’t ruin the experience at all, only as the game is still incredibly difficult and you can be forgiven somewhat for experiencing the learning curve. But more importantly, you have to do some work in order to obtain access to a checkpoint. So it works beautifully well and comes as a massive convenience during the latter, more frantic stages. 


Overall?

GTFO is simply an enthralling and uncompromising experience, meant to be taken seriously and treated with respect. It stands high above many other 4 player co-op shooters released within the last few years and can stand proudly by with the likes of Left 4 Dead. The intense teamwork dynamic, immersive world, solid gameplay loop, and impactful sense of accomplishment will give players plenty of reasons to play and invest their time in this terrific game. In recent memory, never has a game broken me so much, yet pushed me to keep going, and have so much fun along the way. Reaching that extraction point with my buddies, GTFO felt like conquering an impossible feat and made us feel worthy of the punishment it gave.


+++ Exhilarating and immense gameplay loop

++ Great teamwork dynamics

+ Looks and sounds amazing

- Some social elements need refining

- Progression items could be more interesting

Several Steam keys for GTFO was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.

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