Ready or Not (video game) explained

Ready or Not
Developer:VOID Interactive
Publisher:VOID Interactive
Engine:Unreal Engine 5[1]
Genre:First-person shooter, tactical shooter
Modes:Single-player, multiplayer

Ready or Not is a 2023 tactical first-person shooter video game developed and published by Ireland-based VOID Interactive and released for Microsoft Windows. Ready or Not follows the operations of a police SWAT team in the fictional American city of Los Sueños in the midst of a violent crime wave.

Ready or Not was released through Steam early access on December 17, 2021, before it was officially released on December 13, 2023. The game was well-received for its atmosphere and gameplay and has been considered a spiritual successor to the similar SWAT series by Sierra Entertainment.

Gameplay

In Ready or Not, the player takes the role of an American police tactical unit leader within the Los Sueños Police Department (LSPD) pitted against criminals. As a tactical shooter, realism is a central pillar of gameplay, with both players and enemies being killed in only a few shots; therefore, tactical strategies and careful planning are emphasized.

The player is given a wide selection of rifles, submachine guns, shotguns, and handguns to choose from, with extensive customization options for sights, rail attachments, suppressors, and other attachments. Equipment such as stun grenades, stinger grenades, fiberscopes, ballistic shields, and breaching devices are key items available for the player and their team to equip and use.[2] As the player is part of a police unit, apprehending suspects alive is greatly encouraged; therefore, a variety of less-lethal weapons such as tasers, riot guns, and pepper spray are available as alternatives to lethal force, and players are awarded more points for arresting suspects instead of killing them. However, unlike SWAT 3 and SWAT 4, less-lethal weapons such as beanbag shotguns and pepperball guns have the chance of either incapacitating or killing suspects and civilians alike.

Players are also encouraged to handcuff downed suspects as they can either be incapacitated or will fake their death in order to ambush the player. Ready Or Not recommends players to fire at the suspect's center of mass when using lethal force.[3]

Fire discipline becomes especially essential to completing missions, as players who shoot restrained suspects, civilians, or AI team members will be engaged by police as punishment for violating those rules and ethics within the universe of the game.[4]

Modes

Missions are played in singleplayer with AI teammates, or cooperatively with up to 5 players through online multiplayer. A competitive player versus player mode is planned for sometime after the 1.0 release.

Four single player modes are available at the start, those being the Commander mode, Quick Play mode, Ironman, and Training. Training is a tutorial that takes place in the firing range of the LSPD station that teaches players the basics of the game, such as leaning, firing, aiming, and how to use basic equipment. Commander mode is the main single player offering, the player manages a SWAT team, dealing with factors such as stress which changes based on how the mission goes. Ironman is the same as Commander mode, however a single death will wipe your progress.[5] Quick Play mode removes the management, but is otherwise the same.[6]

Home Invasion DLC

After news of delays, Home Invasion released on July 23, 2024. The release also upgraded Ready Or Not to Unreal Engine 5.[7] [1]

Development

Development began in June 2016 and a reveal trailer was released on YouTube on May 3, 2017.[8] An alpha version of the game was made available on August 19, 2019[9] for owners of the Supporter Edition under a non-disclosure agreement. Supporters and select YouTubers were invited to a PvP test in April 2020 and were allowed to publish footage.[10] [11] The game was released on Steam Early Access on December 17, 2021.[12]

At The Game Awards 2023, VOID Interactive announced that the 1.0 version was released on December 13, 2023.[13] The full release includes a mission dealing with swatting and illegal crypto mining.[14] The 1.0 release also addresses overhauls to the effectiveness of less-lethal equipment, mental health in law enforcement, inter-agency cooperation, and officer personality traits.[15] [16] Similar to SWAT 3, Ready Or Not 's 1.0 release will include sophisticated AI that performs actions such as restraining suspects and taking cover autonomously rather than relying on player input.[17] [18]

VOID Interactive planned to release two DLCs by Spring and Summer 2024, respectively; the former having the title of Home Invasion. [19]

Publishing issues

A partnership with Team17 to publish the game under their label was announced on March 22, 2021.[20] On December 20, 2021, VOID Interactive announced that their partnership with Team17 had ended and that they would no longer be publishing the game. Speculation suggested that this was due to the developers teasing a school shooting level on Reddit one day prior,[21] although this was denied by VOID.[22]

On June 16, 2022, Ready or Not was delisted from Steam after a takedown request was issued against the game for trademark infringement relating to a level set in a nightclub.[23] [24] Though media reports suggested it was connected to the level's release date—June 12, the anniversary of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting[25] (VOID did not comment on why this date was chosen)—it was noted that the name of the in-game nightclub, "Pryzm", was also the name of a British nightclub chain owned by Rekom UK.[26] The game returned to Steam on June 18 with the infringing elements removed.

Reception

Ready or Not currently has a score of 79 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favourable reviews".[27] It was the best selling game on Steam in the week after its release, and has been favorably described as a spiritual successor to the SWAT series and early Rainbow Six games.[28] [29]

Ethan Gach, writing an early review for Kotaku, called Ready or Not a "tactical horror game" and "an unsettling SWAT fantasy", praising its atmosphere but also criticizing it as tasteless due to insensitivity towards police brutality and jarring tonal shifts between crude humor and dark drama. Gach also highlighted apparent references to alt-right memes such as redpill and the use of "Jogger" as a racist euphemism (in reference to Ahmaud Arbery). VOID responded to Gach's review, denying any connection to extremism, saying that the alleged dog whistles were coincidental, and stating they would remove the references in question.[30]

In its review of the Home Invasion DLC, PC Gamer praised the gameplay and weapon additions while criticizing alleged class bias surrounding the Dorms level (where both the suspects and civilians are homeless individuals).[31]

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1144200/view/4343242494484137727 Home Invasion Release Changelog
  2. Web site: Vernon . Ross . READY OR NOT First Impression: Unprecedented SWAT Tactics . 2023-01-10 . GameTyrant . December 4, 2022 . en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20230329073830/https://gametyrant.com/news/ready-or-not-first-impression-unprecedented-swat-tactics. March 29, 2023.
  3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82XSPA5C2zE&t=120s Ready or Not - Blood and Gore Improvements (Adam Update)
  4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsHVKLp-LEw&t=9m53s Ready or Not Update 1.0 Dev Vlog
  5. Web site: Ganguly . Sharmila . 2024-01-01 . How to enable Ironman mode in Ready or Not . 2024-02-24 . Dot Esports . en-US.
  6. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1144200/view/4357880461176873767?l=english Home Invasion Patch 2 Changelog
  7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hncp01oVykU Ready or Not: Home Invasion - Official Gameplay Trailer
  8. Web site: Burns. Ben. May 5, 2017. Tactical FPS Ready Or Not announced via gritty teaser trailer. live. January 1, 2022. PCGamesN. https://web.archive.org/web/20221116185419/https://www.pcgamesn.com/ready-or-not/ready-or-not-teaser-trailer. November 16, 2022.
  9. Web site: VOID Interactive. August 19, 2019. READY OR NOT SUPPORTER ALPHA AVAILABLE NOW TO PLAY. ALPHA IS LIVE UNTIL JUST BEFORE OUR BETA IN 2020. live. January 1, 2022. Twitter. en. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/1wAwA?wr=false. June 8, 2023.
  10. Web site: Rogue-9. April 29, 2020. Ready or Not (Alpha) Loadout Options. live. January 1, 2022. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/5d6MR. June 8, 2023.
  11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff7kff8ECSg All Guns and Equipment! - Ready Or Not Alpha
  12. Web site: Chris J. Capel. December 18, 2021. Rainbow Six and SWAT heir Ready or Not is out now in early access. live. January 1, 2022. PCGamesN. https://web.archive.org/web/20230331094552/https://www.pcgamesn.com/ready-or-not/early-access-release-date. March 31, 2023.
  13. Web site: Controversial SWAT team FPS Ready or Not announces a December release date, promising 'an intense gaming experience, that challenges you on the world you know'. Jody. Macgregor. PC Gamer. December 8, 2023. December 10, 2023.
  14. June 29, 2023. READY OR NOT: Streamer. VOID Interactive. . June 29, 2023. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/DbUREARHH7w. June 29, 2023. live. Introducing Streamer, our ambitious upcoming map that will be available with the arrival of the 1.0 release..
  15. Web site: Vol.61 - Ready or Not Development Briefing: Police Trailer Units, Less Lethal QOL Overhauls, Blocking Volumes, Farm Level Overhaul, and VFX improvements. October 6, 2023. VOID Interactive. Steam. [Internal gameplay] found that pepper spray was sometimes too powerful for use against armed suspects in combat contexts. Now, instead of a full stun, suspects who are affected with pepper spray will cover their eyes, experience an accuracy reduction, and have a morale drop. In this blinded state they are still capable of shooting the player up close..
  16. Web site: Vol.63 - Ready or Not Development Briefing- Commander Mode and Narrative. November 3, 2023. VOID Interactive. Steam. How your team conducts itself in a mission and the scenarios they encounter can lead to a psychological effect on your officers that is critical to address to ensure proper effectiveness in the field. Your officers will receive check-ins with a Mental Health Unit attached to your team who relays the outcomes in their respective files. If an officer’s mental status becomes unbearable it may even lead them to quit, or worse.. https://archive.today/20231103201154/https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1144200/view/3801661174266563080?l=english#selection-925.0-600.120. November 3, 2023.
  17. Web site: Vol.64 - Ready or Not Development Briefing- SWAT AI Overhaul. November 17, 2023. VOID Interactive. Steam. [Y]ou have over almost every tactical facet of your SWAT AI officers, you should also know that they are tactical professionals, effectively fully functional on an autonomous level as well. They don’t require constant commands or handholding. They will make callouts, move, prioritize contacts in a room in accordance with your orders, lean around corners, stay alert to openings, make arrests, check hiding places, and more based on their own astute tactical awareness.. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/ZWeVk. November 18, 2023.
  18. Web site: SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle. Tal Blevins. IGN. November 30, 1999.
  19. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1144200/view/4196861557830831882 Volume 68 - Ready or Not Development Briefing: 2024 Roadmap
  20. Web site: Nelva. Giuseppe. March 22, 2021. Squad-Based Tactical Shooter Ready or Not Will Launch Under Team17's Label. live. January 1, 2022. Twinfinite. https://web.archive.org/web/20221116185416/https://twinfinite.net/2021/03/ready-or-not-team-17/. November 16, 2022.
  21. Web site: Jeremy. Winslow. December 22, 2021. Game Loses Publisher Days After Devs Remind Fans About Apparent School Shooting Level. live. January 1, 2022. Kotaku. https://web.archive.org/web/20230315003220/https://kotaku.com/game-loses-publisher-days-after-devs-remind-fans-about-1848258819. March 15, 2023.
  22. Web site: Chalk. Andy. December 24, 2021. Ready or Not studio says planned 'school shooting' level did not cause split with publisher. live. January 1, 2022. PC Gamer. https://web.archive.org/web/20230427210626/https://www.pcgamer.com/ready-or-not-studio-says-planned-school-shooting-level-did-not-cause-split-with-publisher//. April 27, 2023.
  23. Web site: Bankhurst . Adam . 2022-06-19 . Ready or Not Back on Steam Following a Takedown Request Concerning Trademark Infringement . 2023-01-10 . IGN . en. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110144648/https://www.ign.com/articles/ready-or-not-back-on-steam-following-a-takedown-request-concerning-trademark-infringement. January 10, 2023.
  24. News: Smith . Graham . 2022-06-18 . Ready Or Not is back on Steam after being removed for alleged trademark infringement, devs say . en . Rock, Paper, Shotgun . 2023-01-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110144655/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ready-or-not-pulled-from-steam-after-adding-nightclub-shooting-level. January 10, 2023.
  25. Web site: 2022-06-20 . Ready or Not pulled from Steam after adding nightclub shooting level . 2023-01-10 . GamesIndustry.biz . en. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110144655/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ready-or-not-pulled-from-steam-after-adding-nightclub-shooting-level. January 10, 2023.
  26. Web site: 'Ready Or Not' Was Not Pulled Due To Nightclub Shooting Map, Says Developers . 2023-01-10 . GAMINGbible . June 18, 2022 . en. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110144656/https://www.gamingbible.co.uk/news/ready-or-not-not-pulled-due-nightclub-map-20220618. January 10, 2023.
  27. Web site: Ready or Not . 14 February 2024 . . Fandom.
  28. Web site: Bailey. Dustin. December 27, 2021. The best-selling game of the Steam Winter Sale isn't on sale. live. January 1, 2022. PCGamesN. https://web.archive.org/web/20230323175143/https://www.pcgamesn.com/ready-or-not/steam-winter-sale-best-seller. March 23, 2023.
  29. News: Schwarz . Christian . 2022-01-21 . Ready or Not im Test: Der Taktik-Shooter ist SWAT (noch) nicht würdig . de-DE . GameStar . 2023-01-10. Ready or Not in the test: The tactical shooter is not (yet) worthy of the big SWAT. https://web.archive.org/web/20230317163557/https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/ready-or-not-test-steam-review,3377104.html. March 17, 2023.
  30. Web site: Gach. Ethan. January 6, 2022. Controversial Steam Best Seller Ready Or Not Is An Unsettling SWAT Fantasy. live. January 9, 2022. Kotaku. https://web.archive.org/web/20230427184206/https://kotaku.com/controversial-steam-best-seller-ready-or-not-is-an-unse-1848317351. April 27, 2023.
  31. https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/head-ready-or-nots-new-expansion-takes-the-tense-shooter-action-to-new-heights-but-the-politics-hit-rock-bottom/ Ready or Not's new expansion takes the tense shooter action to new heights, but the politics hit rock bottom

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