I don’t have a lot of time to play games. I have a full-time job that can be demanding. I have a family, and video games aren’t a priority in my life. Every so often, one comes around that catches my attention, and due to the peer pressure of my friends, I played Ready or Not. Ready or Not places you in a fictional city based on Los Angeles. You’re a SWAT commander in charge of a four-man team.
You’re thrown into a wide variety of missions. The missions are often based on realistic situations, which include a gas station robbery, cartel human trafficking rings, and even a SWATting situation. The game is very dark and tries to focus on realism. Keep in mind, realism always takes a back seat to fun, but Ready or Not tries to be more realistic than other first-person shooters.
I’m not a video game reviewer, but I’m a gun nerd, and in the first few minutes of this game, I was hooked because it’s made for gun nerds like me.
Ready or Not – Weapon Selection
The core of any gun nerd game is the gun selection. Ready or Not breaks down their firearms into Rifles, Shotguns, Submachine Guns, and handguns. There are also additional weapons like a breaching shotgun and rotating launchers that can fire gas, less-lethal, and flashbangs.
The Shotguns
I’m a shotgun nerd and was pleased to see a mix of the classics with some modern touches. In fact, I own all of the shotguns in the shotgun category. Classics include the Remington 870 and Benelli M4, but we also have the magazine-fed Mossberg 590M, the Beretta 1301, and the Benelli SuperNova.
Specialized shotguns include an orange-furniture outfitted 870 that fires bean bags and an 870 MCS. The less-lethal 870 is actually less lethal; if you make a headshot, it can kill the target, so be cautious.
Submachine Guns
Submachine guns might be out of style in most modern SWAT teams, but not in Los Sueños. There are plenty of SMGs, which include classics like the MP5 and a 10mm variant of the MP5. We have PDWs like the P90 and the MP7, and a smattering of B&Ts. This includes the MP9-N and SPC9. Don’t forget the UMP 45 and UMP 9, the S&W MPX, and even the Flux Defense Raider.
Rifles
Rifles get the full monty treatment in Ready or Not. We get PDW-sized .300 Blackout rifles, like an LVAW wannabe, some PDW-style ARs, and then standard carbines and short-barreled rifles. There are predictably lots of AR variants.
To keep things spicy, we get FALs, G3s, SCARs, AUGs, and even an AK. There are tons of rifles, and like real life, they tend to be a great choice for all-around performance. Plus, if you’re facing armored targets, the rifles are going to be your best friend.
Handguns
Handguns include options from SIG, Beretta, Glock, and even a Colt Python and LAR Grizzly Mark V. Handguns are your secondary option and are often relied upon by your shield guy.
Beyond Guns
Having a ton of guns is cool, but what makes the difference is how they handle. Each gun feels fairly distinct and has an effect on the game. The shorter the gun, the easier it is to use in close-quarters combat. If the gun’s long, it gets in the way and clings to your body when you approach a door or a close wall.
You have to go around a corner wider with a longer gun. This gives you real advantages when using short SMG-type weapons or even a handgun in some situations. You can also swap between high and low ready positions, which can make a difference when dealing with cover.
In Ready or Not, shotguns allow you to swap between buckshot and slugs, including the ability to do a slug select drill. If you’re only running buckshot, it’s tough to deal with aggressive hostage negotiations, so you might want to swap to your pistol.
Rifles, handguns, and SMGs allow you to equip JHPs or armor-piercing ammo, or a mix of magazines to alternate. Walls, doors, and similar items can be penetrated by bullets, and AP can even penetrate non-armored targets and harm someone behind the person. This means firing a thirty-round burst from an AR is a bad move.
It’s realistic in that way, but also sometimes a little glitchy. It doesn’t always work, but most of the time, penetration is something you need to be concerned about.
Gear And Accessories
One of the neat things you can do is customize your gear. You can pick an armor type; for example, you can use ceramic armor, soft armor, or even steel armor. Steel armor can even fragment rounds into you when shot. Soft armor lets you move faster. You can even choose to leave your back plate behind.
Ready or Not allows you to pick from different armor types, which allow you to carry more ammo, flash grenades, etc. You can balance your loadout to accommodate more of your preferred tools. If I want fewer pistol mags and more flashbangs, that’s an option. Plus, you can pick from several different stylistic choices of plate carrier, belt, and gear. I’m an M81 fan.
Accessorizing Guns
Each gun has a fixed number of slots for upgrades. You can attach optics, which include real-world designs from Aimpoint, Holosun, EOTech, Vortex, and more. You can use red dots and magnified optics. Even your pistols can attach optics, including the RMR or SRO.
You can use lights and lasers. Lights include the Surefire Scout for most guns, and the Surefire X300U for handguns. The Surefire DSF even shows up on the 870 series. Lasers include the PEQ-15 and MAWL. When using lights or lasers, you have to be careful.
The enemy can spot them coming. You think you’re safe with IR lasers and night vision? Well, some bad guys have night vision. You have to play smart, and that’s what makes the game a lot of fun to me.
It Gets a Little Weird
The weird part of this game comes from the bad guy’s guns. We see the usual mix of ARs, AKs, shotguns, and Uzis, but sometimes the bad guys have some esoteric weapons. For example, the Calico M950 shows up as a bad guy SMG.
Ready or Not is an alternate world where the P250 became a popular gun, apparently. Also, some are MILSURP fans and wield the Makarov. I’ll give credit to the game; the bad guys also have 3D-printed Glocks, which is at least an interesting criminal gun to see.
Armed and Nerdy
Ready or Not is a ton of fun. I love replaying levels, trying different guns and tactics. I main a shotgun amongst my friends, but single player is a playground where sometimes I respond to a gas station robbery with a FAL, or I go to Epstein’s island with an MP7 and lay waste. Either way, I’m nerding out and having fun.
