I've been hopelessly playing the same games for months now. I've been desperate for something new to come along to stop me from falling into old habits: scuffing cannon shots in Sea of Thieves or endlessly corpse walking in classic World of Warcraft.
Finally, it seems I might have found what I was looking for. It's the first game in months that is both new and fun... I know sounds revolutionary right? Something has finally ended my pandemic rut.
That something is the hardcore police shooter 'Ready or Not'.
It's a delightful mix between the old S.W.A.T games and the Rainbow Six series. You know... that one franchise that got cancelled, and the other that's owned by UbISoFt; the company that couldn't mush a shooter into a paper-thin, chore heavy open world, so they just made Overwatch instead and then butchered Sam Fisher.
So, yeah, I don't like Ubisoft.
Ready or Not: that's awesome though.
An Early Access Tactical Shooter
The fact that the game is in its alpha stage of development and the core gameplay arc is already so addictive is a very promising sign. There are issues with it: VOIP seems to work only when it wants, certain AI can spawn kill you, networking code could be better and there're limited customisation options. But the problems with the game are the type that tentative developers and a vocal community will have no problems ironing out.
The core gameplay here is incredibly solid. There is a single-player offering, but the game shines most in its multiplayer suite. With a full team of officers in voice chat using a variety of tools it really feels like an organised raid. The unpredictable AI and varied objectives combine to make for some very tense, cat and mouse, situations and being punished for civilian injuries means that in the heat of a full-scale gunfight you'll need to be more careful than in any popular shooter around.
It's a nice midpoint between Rainbow Six and Escape from Tarkov in terms of difficulty and punishment. You only get one life in each match; sop there's a sense of dread when you stand with your face against a door in-game but you won't lose anything as in EFT.
The shooting and movement are slow and methodical but seeing as peeking around any corner could get you killed instantly. it's just as well. All the guns have an amazing sense of weight and each bullet hits with deadly force. Each match is a satisfying, tense and unique shoot out whose replay-ability is extensive; thanks to reorganised maps and free-flowing enemy deployments. It's just really fun.
Deafening Beautiful
As well as being a great game to play Ready or Not is a very good-looking and beautiful sounding shooter. The environments are grim, dark and depressing but they do have a glaring beauty that makes these realistic, gritty places intimidating to walk through. This, combined with the impeccable sound design, makes for a deeply immersive insertion every single match.
The sound, whether it's environmental dripping of rain on your gas mask or the thumping bellow of a shotgun flying into the chest of a scumbag. It all sounds perfect and works most of all to draw you into the game and increase the intensity of every situation whether grenades are blowing up in your ear or utter silence rules the moment.
BUY THIS GAME INSTEAD OF THE OTHER TERRIBLE POPULAR SHOOTERS RELEASED THIS YEAR!!!!
