Ready or Not to Bring SWAT-Style Tactical Action to Consoles in 2025

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Regular Steam users may have come across a first-person shooter game called “Ready or Not” multiple times. This game, developed by Void Interactive in Ireland, is among the top-selling titles on the platform as of late. With over 180,000 user reviews on Steam and a peak concurrent player count surpassing 50,000, it’s quite popular. Contrary to what the screenshots might suggest, “Ready or Not” is not a fast-paced military FPS in the vein of “Call of Duty.” Instead, it offers a more strategic, slow-paced shooting experience that sets it apart from many other speedy first-person shooter titles.

Ready or Not, initially released through Steam Early Access in 2021 and fully launched towards the end of 2023, has been exclusive to Windows PCs until now. However, this is set to change as Void Interactive announced at the Twitch Galaxies event that the game will be coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in summer 2025. This release will coincide with a free DLC expansion for the game. When it arrives on these consoles, Ready or Not is expected to fill a void that many console gamers have been missing since the classic SWAT series.

Ready or Not is Filling the Gap that SWAT Left on Consoles

Ready or Not is Heavily Inspired by the Now-Dormant SWAT Franchise

In simple terms, “Ready or Not” is a new creation but shares similar themes with Sierra Entertainment’s renowned SWAT franchise, often known as Police Quest. These games place you in the role of a SWAT officer, who confronts challenging criminal situations. The initial SWAT games were primarily point-and-click adventure games, much like other Sierra series such as King’s Quest and Gabriel Knight. However, over time, the SWAT franchise transformed into a mature First-Person Shooter (FPS) series, serving as a significant influence for “Ready or Not”.

The Last Few SWAT Installments Were Tactical FPSes Instead of Adventure Games

1999 saw the debut of the first-person shooter (FPS) game titled “SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle.” Contrary to its moniker, this “SWAT 3” shared more similarities with the early “Rainbow Six” series than with its “Police Quest” forerunners. Despite this, it challenged many conventions prevalent in the FPS genre at that time. Instead of being a fast-paced, gun-blazing game like “DOOM” and “Duke Nukem,” “SWAT 3” prioritized realism and adherence to police procedures. The primary objective was not to eliminate as many enemies as possible but rather to resolve a crime scenario with minimal casualties.

The game that followed directly after SWAT 3, which was produced in 2003, was titled SWAT: Global Strike Team. This tactical shooter was created by Argonaut Games and marked the debut of the SWAT series on home consoles, including PS2 and Xbox. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to the quality of SWAT 3 and garnered mostly negative reviews. Following its release, Sierra Entertainment passed the SWAT franchise on to Irrational Games, a studio that later became famous for creating the original BioShock. In 2005, Irrational released SWAT 4 exclusively on Windows PCs and was met with broad critical praise.

Since SWAT isn’t Available on Consoles, Ready or Not Will Be a Solid Alternative for PS and Xbox Players

Although SWAT 4 was a significant hit, the SWAT series didn’t survive long past its launch, with no new games appearing in the franchise since 2008. The current owner of the SWAT intellectual property, Activision, hasn’t shown any signs of wanting to revive the series or update its popular installments for contemporary gaming platforms. While some SWAT games can still be purchased on digital stores like Steam and GoG, none have been adapted for modern PlayStation or Xbox systems. Given that Ready or Not is essentially the closest equivalent to a contemporary SWAT game, it’s likely to serve as an acceptable substitute for console gamers.

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2025-04-21 16:34