The new horror shooter GTFO is currently in development and primarily advertises itself as being harder than any competitor in the genre. MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus spoke with Simon Viklund, the composer and one of the just nine developers from the indie studio. Interesting details about the development, reception, and future of the game emerged during the conversation.
GTFO has been in Early Access for PC on Steam since December 2019. Since then, it has accumulated over 10,600 reviews, with 87% being “very positive” (as of June 3). The sheer number of players and the positive feedback surprised even the developers, as Simon will later tell me.
The special aspect of development is the “Rundown system,” through which the developers bring new content to the game. A Rundown brings a new set of contents like maps, enemies, and weapons while phasing out the old. You have limited time to complete the missions.
On June 11, Rundown 03 “The Vessel” will start, for which we have already received some information. In the context of this announcement, I was able to ask Simon Viklund some questions.
The gameplay strongly resembles Left 4 Dead but offers a relatively fresh alien flair instead of classic zombies. Up to four players work together through various levels (“Expeditions”) and try to achieve specific objectives before running out of ammo against the numerous enemies.
In doing so, GTFO especially emphasizes cooperation. Only those who work together, communicate, and coordinate can progress. The game is slated for a full release in early 2021.
GTFO is “relentless” – What makes it so special?
As GTFO is still in Early Access and some players, including genre fans, likely don’t know exactly what it is, I had the developer explain his game in his own words.
MeinMMO: In your own words: What makes GTFO special? How does it differ from other games in the genre, such as Left 4 Dead?
Simon Viklund: “GTFO is deliberately very challenging compared to other games. We want to present an exciting and interesting challenge for players who enjoy cooperative games. It is somewhat relentless and has a high level of tension. It is slower and more strategic than most other games.
Whenever you can anticipate a fight, you should take the time to prepare for it. Set up turrets, lay traps, close doors to create ‘kill zones’.
MeinMMO: I played Alien Swarm back in 2010, and GTFO reminds me a lot of that, especially the coop aspect. Are there similarities? Was Alien Swarm an inspiration?”
Simon Viklund: “No. Alien, the film franchise, was an inspiration, but that pertains more to the mood and atmosphere.”
MeinMMO: What other games were inspirations for GTFO?
Simon Viklund: “Three of the developers from the team, so a third of us, worked on Payday. I wouldn’t say that Payday was the inspiration, but it was somewhat the starting point. Three of us had experience making a 4-player PvE shooter. So let’s do something in that area and take it further: What can we do to demand even more coordination, communication, and cooperation from players? What can we do to create a ‘love letter’ to Left 4 Dead and other games in that genre?
We played a lot of Destiny, the first part. Some ideas also come from there. Not that a team of nine could do anything close to Destiny, but there were some ideas that inspired us for GTFO.
But I would say the game is derived from Left 4 Dead and other games in that genre. I think a good way to describe it is: Left 4 Dead meets Alien Isolation.”
MeinMMO: Would you say that if I have played Left 4 Dead or Payday, I would have an advantage over new players?
Simon Viklund: “They are cooperative games, but the fact that you have played them doesn’t mean that you can cooperate well. And that is the key in GTFO. If you are a good cooperative player and really communicate with your team, then yes, you would have an advantage. The same applies to any cooperative game. If you have a group that you consistently play with, you have an advantage, even if it’s from Rainbow Six.
If each of you has a role and you work really well together, then you will have the greatest advantage in GTFO, even as a single player. It’s less about shooting and more about planning.”
MeinMMO: When you describe it like that, it sounds a lot like Rainbow Six. That’s what I compared it to first in my mind.
Simon Viklund: “Absolutely. Many people think that because we worked on Payday, GTFO is a spiritual successor. But it has more in common with Rainbow Six. Fans of Rainbow should check out GTFO. It’s not realistic and has science fiction and monsters, but [GTFO] has a lot of that thinking and strategy.”
No Sounds from a Can – The Devs Still Yell Themselves
GTFO receives praise from many fans for its consistent and oppressive atmosphere. The rooms are pitch dark, strange, toxic mist is everywhere, and the musical accompaniment brings a creepy atmosphere even in recorded videos.
As I had the opportunity to discuss in more detail, how such an ambiance comes about with Simon as my interview partner, many questions revolved around that. After all, he is largely responsible for what so many players praise: the acoustics of the game.
MeinMMO: For you as the composer of GTFO, what is the biggest challenge?
Simon laughs and has to think for a moment: “I made the music for Payday and people really liked it. They even wrote to me saying they listen to the soundtrack while driving or something.
But for GTFO, the music had to be subtler and support the game, rather than standing out as a piece in itself. It’s a significant challenge to hold back my needs as a composer to create music that I would like to listen to and instead create something eerie that fits horror.
I wanted to make the soundtrack for horror games since I started in the game industry 20 years ago and it’s a great challenge.”
MeinMMO: GTFO is often praised for its atmosphere. What role does sound play in that?
Simon Viklund: “It is very, very important. In anything related to horror, music is even more critical than, for example, in action or drama. Music and sound have the power to create a feeling of discomfort.”
MeinMMO: You are not just a composer, but you also direct the voice actors. In the last info about Rundown 03, it was mentioned that the sounds for the new monster come from a “younger family member.” Can you reveal something about that?
Simon Viklund: “We try to find unconventional sources for the monster sounds instead of using animal noises or sounds that you can buy from collections. We prefer to rely on our sources. The current monster sounds in the game all come from the voices of the team members. We’ve recorded our own voices and screamed, creating all kinds of strange sounds from that.
For one of those monsters in the new Rundown, I needed a sound from something that sounded ‘smaller.’ So I thought it would be cool to have a sound from a child that I could mix in. I think it helps if the origin of the monster sound is a human voice. You can hear that, and it makes it scarier.”
A Look into the Future: GTFO is Expected to Last for Years
After the questions about the content of the current game and the next Rundown, I managed to extract some information from Simon about upcoming updates and the release of GTFO.
MeinMMO: GTFO is set to release in early 2021. What is planned for the period from now until the release?
Simon Viklund: “Basically more content and higher functionality. At the moment, there is still no progress. You can’t get new weapons or upgrade equipment yet. However, we know people want that. There is also no matchmaking, no in-game voice chat, and we are just starting with storytelling. Those are all things planned for the time before release.
And of course, more content is coming, such as more different monsters, more environments, more objectives that an expedition builds on. But we are also considering new threats, not just monsters, to annoy players, so they have to consider even more types of danger.”
MeinMMO: Will you keep the Rundown system after the game is released, and how has it been received by players so far?
Simon Viklund: “Yes, the plan is to keep it. People really like it. It allows us to experiment a lot because people are more likely to accept that the game changes significantly if they know they can master certain challenges for only a limited time.
Some people complain, understandably, especially completionists. Those who start later can never play what happened in a previous Rundown. Every map that you do not complete before the release of Rundown 03, you will not be able to play again.
But that’s part of what makes the game interesting because there’s an expiration date for everything, and it forces all players in the community to focus on the same challenges. They help each other with issues everyone knows.
Of course, we will not design it in a way that you miss something important. There are no Steam achievements or anything like that which you can’t get if you start too late. That would just be frustrating.”
MeinMMO: Will GTFO continue to be supported as a service game for years to come, and will you monetize the Rundowns?
Simon Viklund: “Yes, it will be supported for a long time, but we don’t want to monetize the Rundowns. Perhaps there will be something like ‘support the developers’ purchases for those who play the game and think they enjoy it more than the purchase price justifies for them. But there will be no loot boxes, no subscription, no pay-to-win.”
MeinMMO: What about skins?
Simon Viklund: “We want to implement that, but not monetize it. If there is a kind of ‘support the developers’ purchase in the game, it would likely be tied to something purely cosmetic. But there will be no store full of cosmetics.”
MeinMMO: You said the game will be supported for many years. Can you reveal something about what will happen in the next five years? A kind of roadmap?
Simon Viklund: “That first needs to make financial sense. We see a lot of potential in the game. We have so many ideas for things we want to bring into the game. But it also depends on the community, in what order we bring it. I don’t want to go into too much detail. But, of course, more story, more weapons, more enemies, and expeditions are coming.”
However, the developers do not want to hire more employees at the moment. Currently, they are satisfied with the personality in the team and do not want to change that by bringing in more colleagues. Should that be the case, 10 Chamber wants to grow wisely rather than quickly. They are also spoiled and selective in choosing partners.
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia – What About Other Platforms?
So far, GTFO is only available on PC via Steam – though this wasn’t even a conscious decision, as Simon reveals. They already had their community on Steam, so the team stayed there.
However, there are many players who prefer to game with a controller on console or do not want to buy an expensive gaming PC. So far, they have been excluded from GTFO – but that may not always be the case.
MeinMMO: Are there plans to release GTFO on PS4 or Xbox One, or perhaps even on next-gen consoles or Stadia?
Simon Viklund: “We would love to do that. At the moment, there are no concrete plans, but we are not ruling it out. Probably some kind of collaboration will have to happen with a first-party or another company that helps us port the game. We are nine people, and it’s hard enough to develop the game on one platform. Companies with 20 times as many employees already have problems [releasing their games] on multiple platforms. As long as GTFO is in Early Access, we focus on development. Then we’ll see.”
MeinMMO: And then with crossplay?
Simon Viklund: “Definitely! Cooperation across platforms – which game would be better suited for that than one focused on cooperation? But first, there needs to be a console version.”
Program Overview
Stay updated on Find Your Next Game: All the information, dates, and what to expect in the coming days and weeks can be found in our program plan.
Diving into GTFO – Tips from the Dev
I myself have not yet dared to approach GTFO. The game looks incredibly difficult. However, I have managed to persuade friends to test it with me soon. But I want to prepare thoroughly for that.
Since I had the opportunity to ask someone who knows how to do it, I asked Simon for some tips. For those like me who are starting GTFO as complete beginners, these tips from the developer should be particularly welcome.
In response to my question, Simon leans forward with a mischievous grin and looks incredibly serious. Obviously, this is exactly his element – I’ve got the right person for the question.
MeinMMO: Can you give me three tips for people who want to start GTFO now?
Simon Viklund: “Yes! First: Always maintain awareness of your surroundings for dangers. Move slowly, check dark corners for monsters. If you get too fixated on a target, you might overlook other dangers. If you accidentally wake a monster, there will be a domino effect, and suddenly a horde will rush towards you.
The second point is: Always have an escape strategy. Decide as a team on an escape plan. The most obvious plan is to retreat through the door you all came through – hopefully together. You can then close it and barricade yourselves with turrets and traps.
And the third tip: Don’t get bogged down in fights. Especially as a new player, you might think that the goal is to kill all monsters. But more just keep coming. You have to complete certain tasks, such as standing in holographic circles. Monsters are just a nuisance, but never the objective of a task. You always need to keep in mind what the objective is and how to achieve it.”
“Astonishingly Many Players Have Been Waiting for This Game”
At the end of our interview, I tried to get Simon to highlight the advantages of GTFO a bit. However, he somewhat shyly mentioned that the whole team, including himself, hates trying to persuade players to play. “I am not a salesman. Not that you’re asking that, but this would probably be the opportunity to do so,” he says with an embarrassed laugh. Everyone is aware that the game is not more than what it is: a work in progress.
Yet GTFO has had quite a success, especially given that no one expected it. During the hands-on test by GameStar in December 2019, the developers were still sure: “GTFO will be too hard for most people.” We have embedded that video here for you:
At this point, I followed up again. After all, the reviews indicate that GTFO isn’t too hard for players at all.
MeinMMO: You mentioned in December last year to our colleagues at GameStar that you expected negative feedback. Nevertheless, GTFO is doing well. What do you think about that?
Simon Viklund: “There is a surprisingly large number of players who have been waiting for such a game, who may think that other games hold their hands too much. They desire something like GTFO or perhaps didn’t even know they wanted exactly that until they played it. Whatever it is, there is a huge audience – much larger than we expected.”
MeinMMO: Did you expect so many players?
Simon Viklund: “No. As I said, that was a surprisingly large number of players. People contacted us and said they’ve been wanting a game like this for years and thanked us for developing GTFO or they were reminded of games from their past. That’s great to read.”
MeinMMO: Tack så mycket! (Thank you very much!)
Hit Potential: Very good
After getting a great impression of the horror shooter GTFO from my first research, this was further solidified after the interview with Simon. The plans that the developers have sound promising, especially the promised story. I see a lot of potential to invest time in.
For me, it does not need to get any harder or more complex, but Simon’s statement that Rainbow players should check out GTFO has already hooked me. Now I would really like to activate my squad to join me in dying through a few alien-infested expeditions.
Benedict Grothaus
Freelance Author / Survival Expert at MeinMMO
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