01 · The Combat Loop

Plan, breach, clear. SWAT methodology.

• SWAT team operations Lead a five-officer SWAT element through tactical operations. You are the team leader; AI or human teammates follow your orders. Methodical, deliberate combat.
• Pre-mission briefing Each mission begins with intelligence briefing: suspect descriptions, civilian presence, threat assessment. Use the briefing to plan loadout and approach.
• Loadout selection Choose weapons, less-lethal options, equipment, armor, and uniform per mission. Tailor loadout to expected threats; mission-specific preparation matters.
• Mission objectives Apprehend suspects (preferred outcome), neutralize threats (lethal force), recover civilians, secure evidence. Each mission has multiple completion conditions.
• Civilian protection imperative Civilian deaths penalize mission score severely. Distinguishing suspects from civilians under stress is the core mechanical challenge.
• Score-based mission completion Each mission scores based on outcomes: civilian survival, suspect arrests vs neutralizations, officer casualties, evidence recovery. Higher scores unlock progression.
• Atmospheric tension design Sound design, lighting, and pacing create deliberate tension. Slow, careful play is rewarded; rushing causes death and civilian casualties.

02 · SWAT Team Mechanics

Command four AI officers or play co-op.

• Five-officer element Standard SWAT element: you (team leader) plus four officers. Split into Red and Blue elements for breach-and-clear coordination.
• Element commands Issue orders to Red and Blue elements separately: stack on door, breach and clear, move to position, restrain suspect. Detailed command system.
• Stack and breach Order officers to stack on doors before breaching. Choose breach method: open quietly, kick, ram, breaching charge, shotgun breach. Method affects surprise vs damage.
• Use of grenades Flashbangs, stingers (rubber pellet), CS gas. Throw before breach to disorient suspects; standard SWAT entry protocol.
• AI officer competence AI officers follow orders intelligently but require clear command. They engage threats, take cover, and revive teammates. Better than typical FPS AI but not perfect.
• Officer casualties Officers can be incapacitated or killed. Revive incapacitated officers with medkits; killed officers are unavailable for the rest of the mission.
• Quick-command mode Default command mode is detailed. Quick-command mode (alternative) lets you issue rapid orders through a simplified UI for faster pacing.

03 · Weapons & Equipment

Lethal, less-lethal, and tactical tools.

Category	Examples	Use Case
Assault Rifles	M4 carbine, MK18, G36C, SCAR-L variants	Standard primary weapons. Mid-range engagement; balanced lethality.
SMGs	MP5A2, MP5SD (suppressed), MP7, MPX	Close-range engagement. Effective indoors; lower over-penetration risk.
Shotguns	M870 pump-action, M4 Super 90 semi-auto	Close-range door-breach and CQB. Birdshot for breaching; buckshot for engagement.
Battle Rifles / DMRs	MK17 SCAR-H, MK14 EBR	Long-range precision. Less common in CQB Los Sueños missions.
Pistols	Glock 17, M9, P226, Five-seveN	Sidearms. Quick-draw secondary; some suppressed for stealth.
Less-Lethal	Beanbag shotgun, tasers, pepperball gun, pepper spray	Subdue suspects without killing. Preferred for arrests; mission score reward.
Grenades	Flashbang, stinger, CS gas	Disorient suspects before entry. Standard SWAT entry protocol.
Tactical Tools	Mirror gun, optiwand (under-door), breaching charges	Pre-entry intelligence and breaching. Essential for safe room clearance.
Armor	Light, medium, heavy plate carrier	Trade mobility for protection. Heavy armor for high-threat missions; light for stealth.

04 · Suspect Compliance & Civilian Protection

Distinguish threats from civilians.

• Suspect compliance commands Order suspects to comply: "Get down!" "Hands up!" "Drop the weapon!" Most suspects can be talked into surrender if approached correctly.
• Surrender mechanics Suspects evaluate threat level, distance, and current situation. Hesitating suspects may comply; aggressive suspects may engage. Read body language carefully.
• Restraining suspects Once compliant, restrain with zip-ties. Restrained suspects count as arrested for mission score; killing surrendered suspects penalizes heavily.
• Civilian identification Civilians often appear similar to suspects under stress. Civilians don’t typically hold weapons but may be panicked. Mistaking civilians for suspects penalizes severely.
• Less-lethal preferred Beanbag, taser, pepper spray to subdue threats without killing. Less-lethal arrests score higher than lethal neutralizations.
• Hostage situations Some missions feature hostage scenarios. Civilians held at gunpoint require careful negotiation or precise tactical entry.
• Use of force discretion Lethal force is justified only when suspects directly threaten officers or civilians. Trigger discipline rewards score; reckless engagement penalizes.

05 · Missions

Multiple pre-set missions in Los Sueños.

• Mission variety Multiple pre-set missions span house clearances, drug raids, gang stronghold takedowns, school threats, terror responses. Each has distinct threat profiles and civilian scenarios.
• Mission selection from hub Choose missions from the central Los Sueños hub. Each mission has briefing materials, intel, and recommended loadout.
• Non-linear plot interconnection Missions don’t follow a linear story but interconnect through environmental storytelling. Pieces of the broader Los Sueños crime wave reveal across missions.
• Replay value through difficulty modes Each mission can be replayed at higher difficulties. Different suspect placement, civilian counts, and threat profiles per playthrough.
• Practice Mode Practice individual missions without scoring pressure. Learn maps and suspect placement before competitive playthroughs.
• Commander Mode (full progression) Career-style progression mode. Manage officer roster, equipment, and mission outcomes. Officers gain experience and can be permanently lost.
• DLC missions Additional missions added through DLC. Expand the Los Sueños crime wave with new scenarios.

06 · Maps & Environments

Atmospheric urban environments.

• Los Sueños setting Fictional American city in the midst of a violent crime wave. Atmospheric design; deliberate visual storytelling per mission.
• Residential houses Multi-room domestic environments. Tight CQB; civilian presence; common starter missions.
• Commercial buildings Offices, retail spaces, warehouses. Mid-scale missions with mixed civilian and suspect populations.
• High-threat facilities Gang strongholds, drug labs, terror compounds. High suspect density; tactical entry preparation essential.
• Public venues Schools, hospitals, restaurants. Sensitive scenarios with civilian-heavy environments; precision required.
• Environmental detail Realistic environmental detail. Objects can be moved, doors can be breached, windows can be broken. Tactical flexibility from environment.
• Lighting variation Day and night missions. Night-vision goggles and tactical lights matter; lighting affects engagement quality significantly.

07 · Cooperative Multiplayer

Co-op with up to 5 players.

• Co-op multiplayer mode Up to 5 players cooperate as a SWAT element. Each player controls one officer; coordinate as a team rather than commanding AI.
• PvP not present Ready or Not focuses on cooperative play. No PvP modes; pure tactical SWAT co-op experience.
• Voice coordination essential Co-op rewards voice coordination. Pre-plan room clearances; communicate threats; coordinate timing on breaches.
• Cross-platform play (PC + console) PC and console versions share crossplay. Mix PC and console players in the same lobbies.
• Mission completion in co-op All co-op missions count for progression and unlocks. Co-op clears generally faster than solo with AI.
• Coordinated entry techniques Voice-coordinated breach methods (front and back simultaneous entry, flashbang into one room while clearing another) outperform solo or random co-op.
• Veteran co-op communities Active Discord communities organize regular co-op sessions. Find experienced SWAT teams; coordinate per mission.

08 · Difficulty & Replay Value

Multiple difficulty tiers.

• Standard difficulty Default mission experience. Balanced suspect aggression and civilian counts. Newcomer-friendly entry point.
• Higher difficulties Suspects more aggressive; civilians more numerous; less intelligence in briefing. Tests veteran SWAT skills.
• Iron Sights (no HUD) Optional setting removes mini-map, ammo counter, and HUD elements. Maximum realism mode; significant difficulty increase.
• Permadeath in Commander Mode Commander Mode (career mode) features permanent officer deaths. Losing officers in tough missions has long-term campaign impact.
• Procedural elements (limited) Suspect placement varies between playthroughs in some missions. Provides replay variation; not fully procedural.
• Achievement and unlock progression Achievements for high-score runs, less-lethal arrests, civilian protection. Cosmetic unlocks tied to progression.
• Mod support PC version supports modding. Custom missions, weapon mods, gameplay tweaks via Steam Workshop.

09 · Audio & Atmosphere

The most-immersive SWAT shooter.

• Atmospheric sound design Ready or Not’s audio is intentionally claustrophobic and tense. Distant footsteps, suspect chatter, environmental ambience all amplify mission tension.
• Suspect chatter reveals positions Suspects vocalize stress, anger, fear. Listen for verbal cues to identify suspect locations and emotional states before breach.
• Realistic gunshot acoustics Indoor gunshots produce realistic reverberation. Bullets through walls have distinct audio signatures.
• Civilian distress audio Civilians may cry, scream, or call for help. Audio cues help distinguish civilians from suspects in chaotic moments.
• Soundscape varies by mission Each mission has distinct environmental audio. School missions have different ambience than gang strongholds.
• Composer Zack Bower Original score by composer Zack Bower. Intentionally restrained; lets ambient audio dominate; music swells at critical moments.
• Voice acting for officers and suspects Full voice acting for SWAT officers, suspects, and civilians. Adds narrative depth and atmospheric immersion.

10 · Audio & Settings

Tune for tactical clarity.

• Headphones essential Ready or Not’s audio is the meta. Distant footsteps, suspect chatter, civilian distress reveal mission information. Quality stereo headphones are non-negotiable.
• Master volume around 60–70 percent Ready or Not peaks loud during firefights but plays quietly during stalking. Higher master volume catches subtle audio cues.
• Field of view 90 Standard for tactical realistic shooters. Adjustable; higher values may distort weapon model accuracy.
• Mouse sensitivity low Realistic shooter rewards deliberate aim. 800 DPI and low in-game sensitivity is standard.
• Performance tuning (UE5) UE5 is GPU-demanding. Reduce shadows, post-processing for higher framerate; DLSS supported.
• Disable motion blur Off in visual settings. Saves clarity during high-stress firefights without sacrificing immersion meaningfully.
• Verify after every update VOID Interactive ships updates periodically. Five minutes of menu review per update prevents one bad session.

11 · Pro Tips

Compound habits across the long Ready or Not arc.

• Plan every mission carefully Read the pre-mission briefing thoroughly. Choose loadout based on threat assessment; plan entry route from briefing intel.
• Less-lethal first, lethal as backup Prioritize less-lethal options for suspect arrests. Score higher; reduce civilian casualty risk; preserve narrative consistency.
• Use mirror gun and optiwand Pre-entry intelligence prevents officer deaths. Check rooms with under-door optiwand and around corners with mirror gun before breach.
• Coordinate flashbangs with breach Throw flashbangs immediately before breach. Disoriented suspects compy more readily; safer entry for the SWAT team.
• Identify civilians carefully Don’t shoot first. Civilians may panic in unexpected directions; pause to verify target before engagement.
• Co-op with regular team Solo with AI is solvable; co-op with a regular team is the exceptional experience. Find consistent co-op partners through Discord communities.
• Practice missions before Commander Mode Commander Mode features permadeath for officers. Master missions in Practice Mode before risking your campaign officers.