Ready or Not Surprises with an Impressive Solo Experience

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If you haven’t caught wind of it yet, Void Interactive’s title “Ready or Not” has made its debut on Xbox Series X/S and PS5, and let me tell you, it’s quite impressive. You might be thinking, “You would know that if you played the PC release!” Well, I admit, you’re not wrong, but better late than never – particularly given all the extra content, patches (the fake surrender issue is less frequent now), and enhancements. What took me by surprise, even after hearing about the game for a while, was how enjoyable playing solo can be.

In my assessment of Ready or Not, cooperative play offered its own unique enjoyment. The camaraderie in the police station lobby with fellow players was delightful before we moved to sweep through corridors while warning each other of adversaries, or being unexpectedly subdued by a single suspect (or, as I discovered, a door trap). In essence, it gave the experience an appealing sense of tension and pandemonium. However, keep in mind that your enjoyment can be affected by your teammates, so your satisfaction may differ. Nevertheless, it’s an experience worth considering.

However, this doesn’t mean solo play is lacking. It’s a different beast entirely.

The highlight of this game is Commander Mode, a narrative-driven campaign that puts you in command of D Platoon. Alongside up to five AI teammates, you embark on missions and have the responsibility of regulating their emotional states. If an innocent civilian perishes or fellow officers are injured, they’ll require therapy, rendering them unavailable for future operations. In these instances, you’ll need to bring in additional squadmates to fill the gaps, ensuring you always have backup when confronting potential dangers. As your teammates gain expertise, they unlock potent abilities that benefit the entire squad, such as increased health and easier surrenders from suspects. These enhancements not only simplify subsequent missions but also provide a safety net (especially useful in this game where every choice is crucial).

In a different perspective, opting to work with inexperienced officers can offer its own set of advantages. For instance, suppose you’re navigating through the campaign without prior knowledge and managing reasonably well during the initial missions. Eventually, you’ll encounter a mission that proves challenging – let’s take a restaurant as an example – where teammates may fall. If you manage to survive and complete the mission, the campaign proceeds, and new officers must be enlisted. This can be disheartening, considering the unpredictable threats or more dangerous suspects you couldn’t foresee and losing officers who had valuable skills. However, starting with rookie officers spares the experienced ones from potential harm, doesn’t it?

In a somewhat blunt manner, the game Ready or Not addresses this issue. Pressure can build in numerous forms, and team members might require some downtime or therapy sessions to relax. This is particularly important if they possess valuable bonuses that you wish to activate. However, the availability of therapy sessions is restricted. Instead of bringing new recruits into play at any given moment, it’s suggested to assemble a well-structured team (perhaps by completing initial missions) so that you can rotate officers regularly rather than letting them reach exhaustion and potentially leave the squad.

If you’re up for tackling a mission during the mid to late game with inexperienced soldiers, knowing that there may be repercussions, then by all means, go ahead. You might even find success with a frazzled officer on such a mission. Remember, this approach allows you to wrap up the story more quickly, but it’s important to note that it’s generally riskier, especially if veterans decide to leave your team after a successful mission. It’s reminiscent of the XCOM system, which introduces an additional element of unpredictability and strategic depth that’s often missing in cooperative play.

Just like in the game XCOM, your success will largely hinge on your chosen strategy. You can give orders, such as stacking and opening doors, using a specific wheel. However, you can also press R1 in various context-dependent scenarios. For instance, you can command a teammate to subdue a suspect while you search for potential threats hiding behind corners. This is particularly beneficial when dealing with feigned surrenders, or during later missions where almost every suspect carries a concealed weapon and may attack if not restrained.

Maintain vigilance at all times, even when following a meticulous process. Clearing rooms and shielding your team members is just the start – it’s equally crucial to prop open doors with wedges to prevent surprise attacks from hidden enemies and to master breaching techniques to encourage surrenders. Firefights may be thrilling and exciting, but they significantly raise the chance of losing team members or innocent civilians.

One standout aspect of playing Ready or Not on your own is that victory isn’t a certainty. You can improve your abilities, but there will consistently be an element of uncertainty, be it the placement of suspects or their reactions when demanding compliance. This unpredictable factor introduces an element of chaos that sometimes defies attempts at organization.

AI teammates’ actions are similar; they won’t hesitate to shoot a civilian who takes too long to put away their phone or a suspect who must live. To tilt the scale in your favor, adjust their equipment so they don’t switch to deadly weapons during non-lethal encounters. They also don’t bleed and can move at your speed. Although you don’t have complete control over them, knowing these intricacies gives you an advantage. Moreover, if you should meet your demise, they can still finish the mission, but it greatly depends on the specific objectives.

It’s important to understand that the lasting appeal of Ready or Not isn’t just about finishing the story once and moving on. Instead, it lies in mastering the basics across different scenarios, which can shift unexpectedly at any moment. As you improve your performance, you can take on tougher missions to challenge yourself even more. For those who really want to test their abilities, strategy, and team management, there’s the Iron Man run, where a single mistake from your side means game over.

This game offers a unique mastery element that might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it adds depth to the gaming experience by providing numerous tools and techniques to ensure victory. The challenges are difficult, but the satisfaction of overcoming them makes it all worthwhile. It’s a delicate balance in many ways, and the fact that it caters to various playstyles is commendable. Whether you prefer a hardcore SWAT-like experience or something less tense yet captivating, there’s something for everyone. For those who crave an extra challenge, you can attempt to complete all missions solo.

Currently, I’m eagerly awaiting to find out how the game “Ready or Not” unfolds, and whether there will be additional DLC or if Void Interactive plans to roll out a larger expansion, possibly even a sequel. If its 2023 PC release and 2025 console launch have shown us anything, it’s that there’s a demand for more squad-based tactical shooters that prioritize strategy over mindless firing. Given the stories it tells, albeit indirectly if you don’t pay attention to the briefings, a sequel set in another city would be intriguing to see.

No matter what comes up next, if you’ve been having a blast playing Ready or Not with friends and are considering trying it out solo, don’t hesitate to give it a shot. You’re in for an exciting, enjoyable, and challenging adventure!

*Please note that the opinions expressed in this piece are solely those of the writer. They don’t reflect the perspectives or positions of GamingBolt as a whole.*

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2025-07-21 16:12