VOID Interactive’s Ready or Not has made its way to consoles after a lengthy early access period on PC, delivering a deeply tactical FPS experience rooted in the procedural reality of SWAT deployments. With a new-gen release on PlayStation 5, the game now reaches a broader audience – and it does so with most of its ambitions intact, even if a few of its edges remain rough.
Set in the fictional city of Los Sueños, Ready or Not immerses players in a grim narrative that echoes real-world social tensions. Through its campaign structure and randomised callouts, the game paints a picture of societal decay and violence, with players assuming the role of Judge, a SWAT team commander tasked with navigating hostage rescues, drug busts, and unpredictable gunfights. There’s a strong sense of place here, with environments ranging from cramped motels to lavish mansions and nightclubs, each one saturated with atmospheric tension and subtle worldbuilding. It’s not a traditional story-driven shooter, but the game communicates its narrative through environmental storytelling and the brutal nature of its scenarios.
Gameplay is where Ready or Not shines the brightest. This is not your average run-and-gun experience – success hinges on slow, deliberate progress, constant communication with your squad, and a keen sense of situational awareness. Every mission is structured around methodical room-clearing, issuing commands, and evaluating threats, with an emphasis on non-lethal takedowns and civilian safety. Failing to follow proper procedure isn’t just dangerous – it actively penalises you, encouraging restraint over reflex. The inclusion of multiple ways to tackle each situation, from different loadouts to strategic entry points, enhances replayability significantly.
The AI, both friendly and hostile, mostly supports this tactical design. Suspects behave unpredictably, often hesitating, fleeing, or even surrendering, which keeps players on edge. Your squad generally follows orders well, even if they occasionally struggle with doorways or tight corridors. On higher difficulties, the margin for error shrinks dramatically – a single misstep can wipe your team, and success feels genuinely earned.
Controls on the PlayStation 5 are mostly solid, though the complexity of issuing commands and managing inventory can feel cumbersome at times, especially for those new to tactical shooters. Thankfully, the developers have made clear efforts to adapt the UI and input scheme for console players, and while not flawless, the transition works well enough. The game also makes smart use of DualSense feedback and trigger tension to enhance immersion, adding weight to each trigger pull and breaching maneuver.
Visually, Ready or Not delivers impressive results – not through bombastic set pieces, but through careful attention to realism. Lighting and shadows are especially effective at building tension, and the levels themselves are intricately designed, with believable layouts and environmental detail that complement the grounded tone. That said, there are occasional dips in texture quality and animation fluidity, especially in NPC behavior. Audio plays a key role in the experience too, with sharp directional cues, tense ambient noise, and appropriately subdued music helping players stay alert – a necessity in missions where a single gunshot can change everything.
Despite its strengths, Ready or Not isn’t for everyone. The slower pace and punishing difficulty curve may frustrate those expecting a more traditional FPS, and while the PS5 version is largely stable, some lingering bugs and inconsistencies remind you of the game’s PC origins. There’s also room for improvement in storytelling – while the atmosphere is strong, characterisation and narrative context remain fairly thin. Still, for fans of tactical shooters, these are minor issues in a package that rewards patience, precision, and planning.
In the end, Ready or Not successfully brings its intense, realism-focused gameplay to console without sacrificing what made it a hit on PC. It’s an uncompromising shooter that demands focus and respect for procedure, offering one of the most immersive tactical law enforcement simulations available today – particularly for players who appreciate tension over spectacle.
Score: 8.3/10
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