Review – Ready or Not
Developer: VOID Interactive
Publisher: VOID Interactive
Platform: Steam Deck (PC)
Genre: Tactical First Person Shooter
There are many first person shooters out there that give you the chance to pick up an assault rifle and run into battle, but Ready or Not takes a different approach. It is a tactical first person shooter developed by VOID Interactive, and puts you in control of a SWAT team as you deal with some of the most dangerous situations possible. There are armed robberies, hostage situations, terrorist attacks and active shooters.
I have only just come across Ready or Not, but I wish I had found it sooner! It is an amazing game with some great tactics, amazing atmosphere and intense firefights.
Tactical Gameplay
I have been playing Ready or Not in single player mode only so far. I am commanding a group of AI officers and getting familiar with the gameplay before moving onto online. Luckily the AI are very capable and it is a really enjoyable experience.
You can give your team orders to break down doors, clear rooms, provide cover, engage suspects and collect evidence. It is extremely satisfying to watch your team move around the building and clear the rooms. I have even been watching videos on youtube showing how military units like the Navy SEALs clear rooms and trying to use some of their tactics.
However, sometimes I like to send my AI team in first and use them as cannon fodder. It is fine to let them go first!
The AI aren’t perfect though. Sometimes they will be in your way and make you wish you could hit them with your rifle butt. They can also be pretty slow at regrouping. One of the funniest moments was when the officer and suspect were firing at each other through a closed door and neither seemed to mind the wood between them!
Luckily this doesn’t happen often. Overall they are responsive, efficient and useful.
Lethal or Non-Lethal?
A great feature of Ready or Not is that you can play the way you want. I have been playing through missions multiple times experimenting with lethal and non-lethal equipment.
Sometimes I want to play it like a full Call of Duty game and go in guns blazing with an assault rifle, battle rifle or shotgun. However, sometimes I like to play it in a more calm way using beanbag shotguns and pepper ball rifles.
Interestingly, I have found that using non-lethal equipment can actually be more effective. You would think someone would give up quickly when facing a powerful battle rifle, but sometimes they just want to fight. They will fire back and you will get hit.
However, if you use a pepper ball rifle they will cough and choke and give up. Usually it only takes three or four shots. But sometimes I will go a bit overboard and shoot them with half a magazine!
Another great feature is that your officers can suffer from mental health issues. If you put them in some intense situations they will become stressed and anxious and will need therapy. If you push them too far they may quit and you will have to find new recruits. I have found that using non-lethal equipment tends to keep my officers in a better state.
This is such a great feature and makes you think about your choices.
Great Weapons & Customisation
There are a wide variety of weapons to choose from. There are many assault rifles and carbines that would fit right into your favourite action movies. However, I have enjoyed using battle rifles and shotguns.
You can customise your weapons to match your play style. I love using a holographic sight and weapon light. I tried using a magnified sight (around 4x) but it just wasn’t for me. Most of the time I am fighting inside buildings.
You can also customise your armour. You can change your tactical vest, helmet, gloves and more. This means you can make your officer look however you want. The police station is a great place to get ready for missions. You can go to the weapons wall and manage your team.
There is so much to experiment with and this is another reason why I have been playing through missions multiple times.
Some of the Most Intense Missions
There are some great missions in the base game. Four of them stood out to me.
The Spider is definitely one of the darkest. It is based around an investigation into child exploitation. This mission is extremely disturbing and often the situations you come across are more unsettling than the firefights. The building layout, atmosphere and tension made this mission really memorable. I have played through it multiple times and even played it using lethal equipment.
Elephant is another mission that stuck with me. You are dealing with an active shooter situation in a college. This is a very uncomfortable mission to play as you can hear the gunfire and know innocent students are in immediate danger. What I liked most about this mission was how the game portrayed the horror without making it seem like it was a spectacle. It really makes you think about how unimaginable the situations people go through in real life.
Relapse takes place during a terrorist attack on a hospital. This mission felt like it was taken straight from Die Hard. Fighting through the hospital corridors and shooting heavily armed terrorists was brilliant. However, this mission became quite challenging towards the end. During one playthrough I was completely surprised by a terrorist hiding in the dark basement.
Hide and Seek may be one of my favourite missions for the action. The mission takes place in a massive shipping port and the atmosphere is amazing. The guards are much tougher than usual suspects. They feel like battle hardened mercenaries and are very accurate, aggressive and like to fight in groups.
This is an amazing mission and I have played it multiple times.
Amazing Atmosphere & Great Performance on Steam Deck
Ready or Not looks amazing. The environments are very detailed and the atmosphere is great.
Getting into a dark building and everything is quiet. Your team are quiet, the suspects are somewhere nearby and you are checking every door. Then suddenly you hear gunfire, glass breaking or screaming civilians.
This is extremely effective especially during hostage situations and missions involving innocent people.
Some of these situations are very haunting. The game deals with some very difficult topics that may be upsetting for people who have been through similar situations of violence. However, Ready or Not doesn’t make every situation seem like a spectacle. It often makes you think about the human element.
I have been playing on my Steam Deck and it has been running incredibly well. I haven’t had any issues with crashing, frame rate or technical issues. Considering the amazing graphics and intense gameplay I am very impressed.
Final Thoughts
Overall Ready or Not is one of the most enjoyable tactical shooters I have played. It has some great shooting, smart team commands, amazing customisation and some amazing missions. The atmosphere can be very exciting and can be very disturbing.
The AI can sometimes be in your way and can be a bit silly at times, but overall it is a brilliant game.
I love that you can play the way you want. Whether I am clearing rooms carefully with non-lethal equipment or going in guns blazing and getting into some intense firefights the gameplay is very satisfying.
I have already bought the Home Invasion, Dark Waters and Boiling Point expansions and I am excited to see what they have to offer. However, even without the expansions there is so much to enjoy in the base game.
I wish I had found Ready or Not sooner! If you enjoy tactical shooters, intense firefights and games that reward patience then this is a must play!
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