Ready or Not (video game)
Ready or Not | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | VOID Interactive |
Publisher(s) | VOID Interactive |
Engine | Unreal Engine 4 |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
Release | December 17, 2021 (early access) |
Genre(s) | First-person shooter, tactical shooter |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Ready or Not is a tactical first-person shooter by VOID Interactive. It was released through Steam early access on 17 December 2021.
Gameplay
The game is centered on a team of SWAT operatives in the fictional American city of Los Suenos. Realism is a central pillar of the experience, with both players and suspects being killed in only a few shots. A variety of less-lethal weapons such as stun grenades, tasers and pepper spray are available in additional to firearms and players are awarded more points for arresting suspects than killing them.
Modes
Five modes are playable: confronting barricaded suspects, conducting a raid, stopping an active shooter, defusing bombs after a bomb threat and rescuing hostages. Each mode has different rules of engagement with penalties awarded for violating them. Missions are playable single-player with AI teammates or co-cooperatively with up to four other players through online multiplayer. A competitive player versus player mode is planned for the full release.
Development
Development began in June 2016 and a reveal trailer was released on May 3 2017 on YouTube.[1] An alpha version of the game was made available on August 19 2019[2] for owners of the more expensive Supporter Edition under a non-disclosure agreement. Select YouTubers were invited to a PVP test in April 2020 and were allowed to publish footage.[3] A partnership with Team17 to publish the game under their label was announced on March 22 2021.[4] The game released to Steam Early Access on December 17 2021.[5]
Loss of publisher
On December 20 2021 VOID 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 promising the inclusion of a school shooting level on Reddit,[6] although this was denied by VOID.[7]
Reception
Ready or Not was the best selling game on Steam in the week after its release and has been celebrated as a spiritual successor to the Police Quest: SWAT series and early Rainbow Six games.[8] The game had Overwhelmingly Positive reviews on Steam.
In an early review for Kotaku, Ethan Gach 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 American police brutality and jarring tonal shifts between crude humor and dark drama. Gach also unfavorably highlighted apparent references to alt-right memes such as Redpill, the use of “Jogger” as a racist euphemism (in reference to Ahmaud Arbery), and Pepe the Frog. The developers, in response to the critique, later denied any connection to extremism and stated they were removing the imagery in question. [9]
References
- ^ Burns, Ben (5 May 2017). "Tactical FPS Ready Or Not announced via gritty teaser trailer". PCGamesN. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ VOID Interactive (19 August 2019). "READY OR NOT SUPPORTER ALPHA AVAILABLE NOW TO PLAY. ALPHA IS LIVE UNTIL JUST BEFORE OUR BETA IN 2020". Twitter. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Rogue-9 (29 April 2020). "Ready or Not (Alpha) Loadout Options". Retrieved 1 January 2022.
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Nelva, Giuseppe (22 March 2021). "Squad-Based Tactical Shooter Ready or Not Will Launch Under Team17's Label". Twinfinite. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Chris J, Capel (18 December 2021). "Rainbow Six and SWAT heir Ready or Not is out now in early access". PCGamesN. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Jeremy, Winslow (22 December 2021). "Game Loses Publisher Days After Devs Remind Fans About Apparent School Shooting Level". Kotaku. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Chalk, Andy (24 December 2021). "Ready or Not studio says planned 'school shooting' level did not cause split with publisher". PC Gamer. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Bailey, Dustin (27 December 2021). "The best-selling game of the Steam Winter Sale isn't on sale". PCGamesN. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Gach, Ethan (6 January 2022). "Controversial Steam Best Seller Ready Or Not Is An Unsettling SWAT Fantasy". Kotaku. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
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