Ready or Not isn’t your typical first-person shooter. Developed and published by VOID Interactive, it focuses on tactical realism over run-and-gun action. You’re not rushing through firefights. You’re planning, breaching, and clearing rooms with care. It first launched on PC in December 2023 and is now available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, bringing its intense co-op format to a wider audience.
Instead of giving you a set story to follow, the game throws you into unpredictable missions where teamwork actually matters. You’ll need to think fast, move carefully, and read each situation as it unfolds if you want to finish the job.
Ready or Not builds its identity around that pressure and team coordination. Whether you’re going in solo or with a full squad, things rarely go smoothly. And that’s the point. Let’s take a closer look at how it all plays out.
Tactical Teamwork at Its Core
Ready or Not is all about moving slow and thinking things through. You’re in charge of a SWAT team, handling missions that take planning and precision. Each one gives you goals, like rescuing civilians or detaining suspects, but how you go about it is up to you. You can take a loud approach or stay quiet, pick lethal or non-lethal gear, and even split up your squad to cover more ground.
The controls are built around giving commands. Whether you’re playing solo or in co-op, you’ll rely on the order wheel to move your team. Commands feel intuitive once you’ve had some practice, and there’s room for coordination that goes well beyond typical shooters.
One moment that stuck with me happened during a co-op run in a hotel. We cleared the first few rooms, no problem. Then someone tried to open a door and triggered a trap. It exploded, knocked one of us down, and everything went sideways. In the panic, a civilian ran into the hallway and got caught in crossfire. We failed the mission, but we learned from it. The next time through, we took it slower, checked every door, and finished with barely a scratch.
You never really know what’s waiting behind the next door. The enemy AI moves around, hides, and reacts differently each time. It’s hard to settle into a rhythm, which keeps you alert and on edge. Even when you’re playing solo, a small mistake can throw everything off.
Whether you’re working with bots or teaming up with friends, Ready or Not sticks to tactical gameplay that rewards patience and clear communication.
Dark Spaces and Sharp Sounds
Ready or Not doesn’t go for flashy visuals, but what’s here works well enough. Most missions take place in tight, low-lit environments like homes, storefronts, or nightclubs. Some maps lean into bold lighting, with red strobes or pulsing signs that make every room feel a bit more uneasy. You never really feel comfortable, and that fits the style of the game.
It runs well on PS5. Load times are quick, and performance stays smooth even when things get chaotic. I did notice a bit of texture pop-in here and there, but it’s not distracting. The interface is minimal, which helps the look but takes a little getting used to. Most of the info you need is on your character’s gear or that small in-game tablet you can check at any time.
The sound design does a lot of the heavy lifting. Gunshots are loud, voice commands snap through your headset, and even footsteps sound sharp in a quiet hallway. Some missions play background music that actually makes things harder to read. In one co-op run at a nightclub, the beat drowned out our callouts and footsteps. We walked right into a suspect by accident and had to start over.
Some voice lines repeat, especially from suspects, but overall the audio keeps things grounded. The game looks decent, sounds strong, and keeps your attention where it should be—on what’s waiting around the next corner.
Better With Backup
You can play Ready or Not by yourself, but it’s clearly built around teamwork. The game supports online co-op for up to five people, and that’s where it shines. Missions that feel slow or awkward on your own come alive when you’re working with real people. There’s more room for planning, callouts, and reacting to situations together.
You can host your own session or use matchmaking. Playing with friends is by far the better option. Communication matters, and random squads don’t always take the mission seriously. When you get a group that clicks, though, it’s a blast. Splitting up to clear separate rooms, watching someone carefully peek around a door, or stacking up before a breach all feel satisfying when done together.
In one match, we spent nearly ten minutes clearing a floor, then got ambushed by someone hiding behind a vending machine. It was annoying, but we just laughed and jumped back in. Stuff like that only really works when you’re playing with people you know and trust.
There’s no mid-mission drop-in, so you’ll want to organize your group before starting. Once you’re in, things run smoothly. Network stability held up well, and there wasn’t any noticeable lag during firefights or movement. If you’ve got a group that communicates, Ready or Not is one of the more satisfying co-op shooters out there.
Ready or Not Works Best with a Squad That Communicates
Ready or Not isn’t about nonstop action or big explosions. It takes a slower, more careful approach. Whether you’re playing by yourself or with a full squad, you’ve got to check every corner, use your gear properly, and work together if you want to get through a mission.
It really comes alive with a group. That’s when things feel the most natural, stacking up at doors, using hand signals, calling out enemy positions. Even simple moments like tossing in a flashbang or cuffing a suspect feel more rewarding when you’ve got everyone on the same page. Playing by yourself still works, but commanding bots slows things down, and they don’t always react how you’d hope.
What surprised me the most is how much the game made me slow down. I usually rush in shooters, but here I had to unlearn that habit. Moving carefully and thinking through each action made every successful mission feel earned.
There are some issues. Repeating voice lines, basic visuals, and long searches at the end of missions can wear on you. But once you settle into its rhythm, Ready or Not delivers something you don’t get in most shooters.
If you’ve got a group and some patience, this is one of those games that sticks with you. It doesn’t always go smoothly, but that’s part of what makes it work.
Ready or Not
Summary
Ready or Not brings deliberate, tactical shooting to the forefront, rewarding slow, careful teamwork over fast action. It’s clearly built for co-op, with a strong focus on communication and smart planning. Solo play is functional but less satisfying, and some pacing issues and rough edges hold it back. Still, when things click with the right group, it delivers something most shooters don’t even try to offer.
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