GTFO a real heart-stopper and very addicitive
IN the past year, there have been a number of monster-budget AAA titles released with less polish than the humble early-access GTFO. Though it obviously lacks in content and features that will presumably be available in the full release, it is genuinely astounding and admirable that the developers have opted to refine each individual facet of GTFO without succumbing to feature creep or foisting a half-baked alpha build on the unsuspecting community.
GTFO is, at its most basic level, a cooperative horror first-person-shooter (not entirely true- the game can be played solo but it is so unforgivingly difficult that it is exceedingly unlikely that many will actually do it). The game begins with an unsettling descent into a labyrinthine subterranean environment known as The Complex. Inside this lair of psychological horror, you and your team will be expected to cooperate in order to blast your way through various eldritch enemy types, while all the while managing your ammo and resources under duress in the immense difficulty GTFO has on offer.
Though there is no progression system currently implemented in the game, the simple joy of beating as many of the pre-determined rooms you possibly can is generally sufficient. You will die many times, absolutely no question about it, but it is a testament to the quality of the developers that they have managed to nail that oft-intangible magic formula that makes you and your friends come back over and over again despite the insurmountable odds.
Though there is virtually nothing by way of narrative or plot currenty in the game, it is obvious that GTFO is perfectly positioned for an intriguing story. Many of the environmental and enemy details already hint at certain things, but it is up to the developers whether they wish to capitalise on the creepy atmosphere, or simply leave everything open to interpretation.
One of the greatest things about any video game and certainly something that the developers of GTFO have seemed to realise is that players want to be able to improvise and solve puzzles in their own way - not to simply happen across the path the developers want you to take. GTFO absolutely nails this interpretive gameplay on the head, with the various monster types requiring different approaches - making no two rooms truly the same.
GTFO is a horrifying game, both from atmospheric and difficulty standpoints. Despite this, it is incredibly addictive and an absolute blast if you can convince a group of friends to brave its heart-stopping atmosphere.