Ready Or Not Review - A Solid SWAT FPS
2Disclaimer: I am aware of the recent outrage regarding the censorship of the game. I condemn it and do not agree with censorship for all the obvious reasons. The proper approach would have been to give players the option to censor, just like many other games have done in the past. This review is focused on the game itself, not the surrounding controversy.
-Steam Curator: store.steampowered.com/curator/36307721-Healthy-Criticism/
Ready or Not is a SWAT-style FPS that hearkens back to the original SWAT games of years past. You even still have the under-door camera, or "optiwand".
The gameplay is straightforward. You control Team Blue, Team Red, or Team Gold (which combines both). Each team can be commanded independently or together. Commands range from stacking on doors, peeking, unlocking, using the optiwand, breaching (either by kicking or with a shotgun), deploying flashbangs before entering, and more. The control scheme has a learning curve, but once you master it, the system becomes intuitive and responsive.
Gunplay feels grounded and satisfying, with realistic pacing. The sound design complements it well, and the overall flow of missions is tight and engaging.
Graphically, the game looks great. One of the standout features is the lighting from your weapon-mounted torch when aiming into dark rooms. It does an excellent job of mimicking how it would behave in real life.
Most of my time was spent in single-player. While the experience was largely solid, it was not without issues. For example, during a level involving underground tunnels, my squad mates refused to follow any commands. In another mission requiring me to clear two separate houses, some rooms had closets where suspects would hide. If you failed to catch them in time, they would leap out and stab you to death, which was essentially unavoidable once it started.
Level design is varied. Some missions are short and straightforward, with obvious threats and minimal complications, taking under ten minutes. Others are sprawling and complex, with layered objectives and longer runtimes.
One important detail to keep in mind: there are no checkpoints. Getting stabbed at the final door after a 25-minute mission means restarting from the beginning. Additionally, the more your squad dies or is injured, the more their stress level increases. If their stress gets too high, they must be pulled from the field and evaluated by a doctor.
Overall, Ready or Not is a great tactical shooter with a few rough edges. The core gameplay is solid and should provide hours of tense, rewarding play, especially in multiplayer. With crossplay now available, it has a strong foundation to build on.
00:00 Intro
00:20 Censorship address
02:53 Settings
03:55 Main Hub
12:49 Mission Select
16:33 Mission Start
28:51 Return to hub and final thoughts