Ready or Not Review: The Ultimate Tactical Thriller

“Ready or not…” — that iconic hook from The Fugees immediately popped into my head the moment I installed Ready or Not. I couldn’t help humming it as I geared up, because the phrase fits this game to a tee: you never really feel prepared for what’s waiting behind that next door. Whether it’s a frantic hostage standoff, a booby-trapped hallway, or an eerily quiet house that makes your skin crawl, Ready or Not keeps you on edge, daring you to step forward — ready or not.

At a Glance

• Developer / Publisher: VOID Interactive (Ireland)
• Engine: Unreal Engine 5
• Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
• Release Timeline: Early Access (PC) – Dec 17, 2021; 1.0 (PC) – Dec 13, 2023; Console – Jul 15, 2025
• DLC: Home Invasion (Jul 23, 2024); Dark Waters (Dec 10, 2024)

Welcome to Los Sueños

Ready or Not drops you into the gritty, nerve-wracking world of SWAT operations in the fictional city of Los Sueños. Developed by VOID Interactive, this tactical FPS first hit Early Access in December 2021, but its full 1.0 release arrived in late 2023 on PC, followed by PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2025. From the start, the game makes it clear: this isn’t about run-and-gun heroics. It’s about patience, precision, and the constant pressure of making life-or-death calls under the Rules of Engagement.

The Art of Slow, Methodical Chaos

What makes Ready or Not shine is its commitment to realism. Unlike the adrenaline-soaked firefights of Call of Duty, here you’ll creep through corridors, stack up on doors, deploy mirror cams, and try to coax suspects into surrender. Every mission feels like a test of nerves. Hostage rescue, barricaded suspects, bomb defusal—each objective forces you to slow down and think like a real tactical unit. That moment when a suspect finally drops their weapon after you’ve been screaming “Police! Hands up!” for what feels like an eternity is more satisfying than a hundred headshots elsewhere.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper tactical shooter without tools of the trade. Flashbangs, beanbag shotguns, tasers, ballistic shields—non-lethal equipment isn’t just encouraged, it’s often rewarded. Going in guns blazing might work in many other games, but in Ready or Not it usually means mission failure and a long, silent walk back to HQ. I found myself unlearning decades of FPS habits, which is both refreshing and frustrating in equal measure.

Solo Play vs Squad Play

Playing alone with AI teammates can be a mixed bag. They’ll follow commands and execute breaches with satisfying precision, but their decision-making can sometimes be, let’s say, questionable. Suspects might still outwit them with surprising ease. That said, the game absolutely comes alive in co-op. Coordinating with friends, whispering over comms, timing entries—it’s intense, cinematic, and borderline terrifying at times. If Path of Exile 2 scratches that itch for loot-driven camaraderie, Ready or Not scratches the tactical side of teamwork where every move matters.

Looks and Sounds that Pull You In

The game’s visual design walks a clever line between realism and atmosphere. Darkened houses lit by the flicker of televisions, abandoned warehouses echoing with distant footsteps, suburban homes hiding horrors in every room—it’s all deeply unsettling. The sound design seals the deal. Doors creak, muffled cries echo through walls, gunshots are deafening, and every suspect shout sends a chill down your spine. It’s not horror, but it plays with tension just as effectively.

DLC and Expansions

Ready or Not has grown meaningfully post-1.0 with paid DLC that also coincided with large free updates for all players:

• Home Invasion (Jul 23, 2024) — storm-ravaged Los Sueños scenarios, three new missions, and additional gear/cosmetics.
• Dark Waters (Dec 10, 2024) — maritime a The Controversy

In mid-2025, to pass console certification and keep feature parity across platforms, VOID toned down or removed certain depictions (like ongoing gore and brief nudity). The PC build was updated as well, which sparked a wave of Steam review-bombing and a wider community debate about “censorship.” Commercially, however, the console launch proved huge—the game cleared 1 million sales on console within a few days of release—even as PC players continued to ask for an in-game toggle or separate build.

Sales skyrocketed, proving accessibility sometimes trumps purity. Personally, while I understand the frustration, the core experience hasn’t lost its bite. Kick in that first door, and you’ll forget all about the missing blood splatter.

Performance Check

On current-gen consoles the game targets high frame rates (60fps+) and plays smoothly overall, with occasional dips during the busiest breaches. On PC, scalability is strong across a wide range of hardware; dialing back shadows and post-processing buys you a lot if you’re CPU-bound. Notably for console/PC players, Xbox reintroduced Play Anywhere support in August 2025: buy once and your progress/achievements sync across Xbox and PC.

Final Thoughts

Ready or Not isn’t for everyone. If you crave instant gratification, you’ll probably bounce off its slow, punishing style. But if you relish tension, tactical depth, and the thrill of breaching a door without knowing what’s behind it, this game delivers an experience unlike anything else on the market. It’s the kind of game that rewards patience, planning, and nerves of steel. And when it all comes together—when the squad flows like a well-oiled machine and the hostages make it out alive—it feels downright heroic.

Raedy Or Not Trailer

Ready or Not earns an 8/10 for delivering a tense, methodical tactical experience that few shooters match. Its realism, immersive environments, and rewarding co-op gameplay make every breach and hostage rescue feel meaningful. While AI quirks, the steep learning curve, and minor console censorship prevent it from being perfect, the core gameplay remains gripping and highly satisfying. Fans of strategic, slow-burn FPS action will find it a standout title in the genre.

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Game code was provided by the Publisher.

I reviewed it, and then it was edited by my partner.