VOID Interactive is a small studio, even by Indie standards. They comprise of "11-50" employees, but according to their LinkedIn, only 10 are officially registered. While I have no knowledge on each individual developer's experience, Ready or Not is VOID's first game. Yet, this unfinished product is still more polished and refined than most AAA games that have come out in recent times.

We live in a really weird age of video gaming. Massive companies have swallowed up most of the studios we knew and loved growing up. Games are bigger and better looking than ever and produced by studios that have a literal ocean of potential, but they are hallow like the chocolate turkeys your grandma gets from See's Candies every year. Despite their nigh infinite resources of money and talent, games have grown stale at best and complete money grabbing rip-offs at worst. Battlefield 2042 is a husk of a Battlefield game, Cyberpunk was half-baked, Call of Duty is just more of the same and Halo is a micro-transaction ridden bug fest.

Here we arrive at Ready or Not. Somehow, this tiny little studio has published an EARLY ACCESS TITLE that is more refined and polished than any AAA title released in the last two years within it's genre:

- The gun play is fantastic. Each weapon has unique characteristics, sounds and they are all satisfying to use.
- The movement, while slow, is precise and fluid.
- The maps that are finished are well designed, maze-like levels and very atmospheric.
- The graphics and lighting are the cherry on top.
- The game is challenging and always keeps you on your toes.
- Great modding community, even now.

Despite being a tactical FPS with movement far slower than most modern players are used too, I think it's a game anyone can enjoy, especially while playing with friends. It's very teamwork oriented and there's ALWAYS something for someone to do. Each level gets populated with enemies and civilians randomly. You could know the map like the back of your hand, but you'll still be surprised by where enemies could be hiding.

Okay, I've talked a lot about the greatness of this game, but no early access title is without issues:

- Completed maps are few in number right now.
- The A.I, while improved from a month ago, still needs a good amount of work.
- While the core game play is there, many things are still unfinished.
- Gun play is solid, but there is not a lot of weapon variation.
- Assault rifles, while numerous, tend to be somewhat redundant when compared against other rifles.
- There aren't any maps where a mid to long ranged rifle can truly shine.
- The game needs more close ranged choices.
- Stability can SOMETIMES be an issue. While I haven't ran into any performance issues myself, I do get the occasional crash.


While my list of pros was shorter than my list of cons, I still believe this game has A LOT more good than bad. Now, here are some things I hope to see in this game.

- The game needs a map. I don't care if it's only a rudimentary blueprint of the level, but it needs something.
- Rework the pre-game lobby so players can form a plan of attack
- Levels with larger open spaces.
- More modern tactical gear such as drones
- SHORT-BARRELED RIFLES
- A battle royale (just kidding)
- Wider variety of weapon attachments. Not just scopes, but underbarrel launchers or shotguns.
- The potential for enemy A.I to remove the restraints off another enemy A.I.


Overall, this game shows REAL potential. I know we've all heard that before from early access titles, but this time it's different. The core game is there, all it needs now is more polish and more content. This is how an early access title should be. This is the SWAT game we've all wanted for years, even in it's current state.

VOID Interactive is a small studio, even by Indie standards. They comprise of "11-50" employees, but according to their LinkedIn, only 10 are officially registered. While I have no knowledge on each individual developer's experience, Ready or Not is VOID's first game. Yet, this unfinished product is still more polished and refined than most AAA games that have come out in recent times. We live in a really weird age of video gaming. Massive companies have swallowed up most of the studios we knew and loved growing up. Games are bigger and better looking than ever and produced by studios that have a literal ocean of potential, but they are hallow like the chocolate turkeys your grandma gets from See's Candies every year. Despite their nigh infinite resources of money and talent, games have grown stale at best and complete money grabbing rip-offs at worst. Battlefield 2042 is a husk of a Battlefield game, Cyberpunk was half-baked, Call of Duty is just more of the same and Halo is a micro-transaction ridden bug fest. Here we arrive at Ready or Not. Somehow, this tiny little studio has published an EARLY ACCESS TITLE that is more refined and polished than any AAA title released in the last two years within it's genre: - The gun play is fantastic. Each weapon has unique characteristics, sounds and they are all satisfying to use. - The movement, while slow, is precise and fluid. - The maps that are finished are well designed, maze-like levels and very atmospheric. - The graphics and lighting are the cherry on top. - The game is challenging and always keeps you on your toes. - Great modding community, even now. Despite being a tactical FPS with movement far slower than most modern players are used too, I think it's a game anyone can enjoy, especially while playing with friends. It's very teamwork oriented and there's ALWAYS something for someone to do. Each level gets populated with enemies and civilians randomly. You could know the map like the back of your hand, but you'll still be surprised by where enemies could be hiding. Okay, I've talked a lot about the greatness of this game, but no early access title is without issues: - Completed maps are few in number right now. - The A.I, while improved from a month ago, still needs a good amount of work. - While the core game play is there, many things are still unfinished. - Gun play is solid, but there is not a lot of weapon variation. - Assault rifles, while numerous, tend to be somewhat redundant when compared against other rifles. - There aren't any maps where a mid to long ranged rifle can truly shine. - The game needs more close ranged choices. - Stability can SOMETIMES be an issue. While I haven't ran into any performance issues myself, I do get the occasional crash. While my list of pros was shorter than my list of cons, I still believe this game has A LOT more good than bad. Now, here are some things I hope to see in this game. - The game needs a map. I don't care if it's only a rudimentary blueprint of the level, but it needs something. - Rework the pre-game lobby so players can form a plan of attack - Levels with larger open spaces. - More modern tactical gear such as drones - SHORT-BARRELED RIFLES - A battle royale (just kidding) - Wider variety of weapon attachments. Not just scopes, but underbarrel launchers or shotguns. - The potential for enemy A.I to remove the restraints off another enemy A.I. Overall, this game shows REAL potential. I know we've all heard that before from early access titles, but this time it's different. The core game is there, all it needs now is more polish and more content. This is how an early access title should be. This is the SWAT game we've all wanted for years, even in it's current state.