Ready or Not is a tactical first-person shooter that serves as a spiritual successor to the classic SWAT series, emphasizing realism, intense tactical gameplay, and team coordination. Players prepare meticulously by selecting equipment and planning strategies, with missions that are challenging and demand patience and precision. The game features detailed environments and realistic weapon mechanics, creating an immersive experience that can be emotionally impactful due to its mature, often disturbing subject matter.
The multiplayer co-op mode is highly praised for its tension and excitement, although solo play is noted as less engaging. Despite some technical issues like bugs, AI inconsistencies, and optimization problems, the developers show strong commitment through frequent updates and community engagement. The game’s controversial themes and gritty tone contribute to a unique, thought-provoking experience that appeals especially to fans of tactical shooters seeking depth and challenge.
Players highly praise the game's realistic weapon handling, detailed environments, and tactical depth. The multiplayer co-op mode is especially celebrated for fostering teamwork and intense scenarios. The high level of customization, including equipment loadouts and mission planning, adds strategic variety. Graphics and sound design receive positive remarks for enhancing immersion. The game's emotional and mature storytelling, tackling difficult themes with care, is also recognized as a standout feature. Overall, Ready or Not is viewed as a worthy successor to SWAT 4 with a strong emphasis on realism and tactical gameplay.
Common criticisms focus on AI behavior inconsistencies, such as teammates ignoring orders and enemies exhibiting unfair advantages. Bugs affecting hitboxes, evidence detection, and mission grading frustrate players. Optimization issues cause frame rate drops and long loading times on some systems. The user interface and equipment management are sometimes clunky, with limited quality-of-life features. Some players find the difficulty punishing and the price steep for the current content. Additionally, the community is described as toxic by some, and lacking robust reporting or moderation tools.
Ready or Not is an intense, tactical, first-person shooter that depicts a modern-day world in which SWAT police units are called to defuse hostile and confronting situations.