Ready or Not had its full 1.0 launch after a surprise announcement at 2023’s video game awards. Now out of early access, the title has seen a surge in popularity, introducing you to the gritty, crime-filled world of a special tactics unit.
With so many titles putting players on the wrong side of the law, Ready or Not appeals to those seeking tactical experience in delivering justice. Despite Ready or Not’s niche elements, it does have features that appear in other titles for those looking to get their tactics fix.
8SWAT 4
Can’t Beat The Classics
With Ready or Not being labeled as a spiritual successor to the SWAT series, comparisons between the two are naturally easy to draw. Even though SWAT 4 came out nearly 20 years ago now, it still manages to hold up even to this day. Presenting extremely tense missions, SWAT 4 allows you to either take up to four friends or AI squadmates.
In a lot of ways, time has done SWAT 4 quite well, thanks to additions like GOG’s gold edition or the Elite Force mod, both of which add considerably more content to an already fantastic game. If you’re still looking for more police action after playing Ready or Not, it doesn’t get much better than this blast from the past.
7Six Days In Fallujah
Inspired By True Events
Transitioning from the United States to a wartorn Iraq,Six Days In Fallujahcaptures the same gritty atmosphere and tactical gameplay as Ready or Not.
Six Days In Fallujah possesses deep gameplay that places you in procedurally generated environments, ensuring that no two missions are alike. Paired up with intelligent AI, you will have to act tactically as a unit, whether that be with friends or NPC companions.
6Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas
Tactical Chaos in Sin City
TheRainbow Sixseries has always been home to some of the best tactical gameplay the industry has to offer. Many of the earlier installments can be difficult for modern gamers to go back to; however, Rainbow Six: Vegas offers just the right blend of modern convenience with the classic mechanics that make the series so iconic.
Taking placewithin flashy casinosand other notable Vegas locales, the single-player campaign of Rainbow Six: Vegas is an action-packed thrill ride. It forces you to play smart and work as part of a squad, with the protagonist Logan capable of delivering orders to his fellow squadmates.
5Doorkickers
Improvise, Adapt, Overcome
Ready or Not’s first-person view makes it an immersive experience as it plants you firmly in the shoes of a special tactics unit. Doorkickers opts to capture the intensity of a raid in an entirely different respect, with a top-down view permitting a full overview of the location’s layout. The same screen is used to deliver orders to a customizable squad as they sweep and clear the building of threats.
Like Ready or Not, Doorkickers possesses a wide variety of different missions, from clearing out drug dens to taking down crime bosses. Each mission requires a different combination of weapons, gear, and strategy to obtain success.
4Zero Hour
The Human Element
With the SWAT series being retired, it was only natural that a few titles would spring up to fill the very same niche. Zero Hour shares similarities with Ready or Not, including plenty of slow-paced gameplay with an emphasis on planning and strategy. However, unlike Ready or Not, Zero Hour has modes that focus on PVP as well as cooperative missions.
Still in its early access phase, Zero Hour is shaping up to offer a unique experience by forcing you to plan around the skills of other human opponents. On top of that, the PVR elements are still present for those looking to hone their skills as well as work with their friends on a slow-burn, tense experience.
3Squad
War On The Biggest Stage
Ready or Not is a title that keeps a tight focus with a scale that a small special tactics unit could reasonably deal with. Squad, meanwhile, takes the same coordination and communication skills necessary for success in Ready or Not and applies them on a macro scale. You fight against one another in 50 v 50 matches on massive battlefields utilizing powerful modern military equipment.
Even with this increase in scale, the unity of the team is not lost; as the name of the game suggests, you operate in small squadrons to carry out individual objectives. Victory is obtained not only through working together with your comrades, but also by coordinating with your entire team to take control of the battlefield.
2Spec Ops: The Line
A Grim Road
The full launch of Ready or Not came with some notable improvements to an already rock-solid experience. One of these upgrades was the introduction of a psychology system that accounts for the stress faced by these operatives in the field of duty. Few other titles discuss the consequences faced by those who serve in combat, with the most notable of them being Spec Ops: The Line.
Launched amid the modern shooter boom with titles likeCall of Duty, Battlefield, and Medal of Honor, Spec Ops: The Line takes a more stark look at the reality of war. Stripping away the patriotism and overt heroics in most games covering war, Spec Ops: The Line’s narrative has aged spectacularly well. On the gameplay front, things are not quite as deep as some other games in the genre, but it still works as a vehicle to deliver the emotional storyline.
1Police Simulator: Patrol Officers
Not All Bombs and Terrorists
Ready or Not focuses on providing an immersive experience emulating a very dangerous occupation. However, justice takes many forms and not all of them are quite as exciting as working in special forces. Police Simulator: Patrol Officers offer a much more mundane spin onworking as a cop.
Whereas Ready or Not is about taking down drug kingpins and active shooters, Police Simulator has traffic stops, parking violators, and graffiti sprayers. Although less thrilling on the surface, there is something to be said for the kind of satisfaction that comes from performing your job well and keeping the streets safe, one ticket at a time.
