Ready or Not is a brutally realistic tactical shooter with thrilling highs and horrific lows, but our guide's tips on tactical thinking, squad control, and more can help missions go a bit smoother.

Ready or Not is about keeping the peace and minimizing violence to the fullest extent. Playing the good cop takes a lot of skill, training, and planning. You can live out your tacti-cool fantasies and be the good guy if you take the tips in our Ready or Not guide to heart.
 

Preparation, preparation, preparation

You’d better prepare yourself for a number of hard lessons if you dive into Ready or Not without planning. There are a number of tactical considerations that you need to think about before you even step into a mission. Playing with friends takes some of the burden off you, but if you’re trying to solo it, you’ll have to guide a whole team of AI characters through some tough scenarios. 

Always read the mission briefing

You can start a mission in Ready or Not immediately after selecting it at the station…but you really should read the briefing on your tablet before deploying. There's even a voiceover option if you don't want to read it yourself.

The briefing contains key information about entry points, suspect locations, and secondary objectives. A good commander should commit these things to memory before putting their officers in danger. The second mission, 23 Megabytes a Second, is a perfect example. This scenario involves a hostage situation at an apartment complex, and the mission briefing tells you which units are empty, which are connected to each other, and which are owned by the suspect.

Practice recoil patterns and weapon handling

Just because you're discouraged from firing your gun doesn't mean that you'll never need to use it. Ready or Not features a shooting range at the police station complete with moving targets and windows to practice grenade throws.

Ready or Not's shooting mechanics are quite different from other FPS games you may be used to, so familiarize yourself with your gun so you won't panic when the time comes. Spend some time learning the recoil patterns and handling for your favorite weapons, and make sure actions like laser activation, canted aiming, and weapon raising/lowering are second nature before you enter a real situation.

Manage your team members for long-term success

Your officers are more than just nameless AI companions in Ready or Not, and managing their health and abilities is incredibly important. Injuries have lasting consequences, so take every precaution necessary to avoid putting your men in danger. 

Even if they don't take a bullet for you, the mental toll of shouting and shooting at civilians starts to wear on them fast. Give them a break if they need it.

You'll be rewarded for taking good care of your men since they'll unlock new abilities and perks that will make future missions much easier. Some officers can increase the chances of suspects surrendering peacefully, for example, so keep a watchful eye over your squadmates in between missions.

Customize your gear and uniforms

Fashion is a surprisingly big part of Ready or Not, so take the time to customize your appearance and choose the coolest equipment for your squad before deploying on your next mission. You'll unlock more uniforms and gear as you play through the campaign. 

Not only will this bolster your confidence on your next mission, but it also helps you tell your officers apart. It's hard to get attached to your men when they're all wearing the same uniform. A few tweaks go a long way.
 

In the field

With all that planning and preparation taken into account, you should now be ready (or not) to take on the vast selection of missions available in the game. Ready? Go! 

Master non-lethal weapons in Ready or Not

Just because you're not supposed to shoot people in Ready or Not doesn't mean you aren't allowed to shoot at all. There are a ton of non-lethal weapons you can bring on missions. Pepperball weapons and beanbag shotguns will dispatch suspects without life-threatening injuries, and the same goes for tasers and pepper spray. These aren't always effective, particularly against well-equipped suspects with masks and protective gear, but they'll make the early stages of Ready or Not a breeze.

Use long tactical equipment to breach safely

Suspects never want to let the SWAT team in, but you don't need their permission. While you can breach doors and rush in guns blazing, you can also make use of long tactical equipment to gain the upper hand.

The mirror gun is the first long tactical weapon you'll encounter in Ready or Not, and it's a life saver that lets you peek underneath doors to check out what's on the other side. You can expand your arsenal with a breaching shotgun, a battering ram, and a ballistic shield later down the line. Not only will these get you into barricaded rooms more easily, but they'll also intimidate suspects and make them more likely to comply with your orders.

Monitor helmet cams for full tactical awareness

Even when flying solo, Ready or Not is still a team-based game. Your AI companions are a lifeline that you should regularly rely on. Whether you divide your squad or keep everyone together, you should always have a helmet camera active so you can have a second perspective on the situation.

You can cycle between each officer's POV to assess things from multiple angles, and this is paramount when you split up the Red and Blue Team to clear different areas or breach a room from multiple approaches. The last thing you want is to hear distant gunshots and not be able to see what's going down.

Use flashbangs to control the room

Getting the best mission ratings in Ready or Not requires you to apprehend suspects without resorting to excessive force, but you'd be surprised how aggressive you can get without facing punishment. Flashbangs are your best friend in Ready or Not, and there's no penalty for using them.

Ordering your squad to flash-and-clear is like a cheat code. If a suspect was planning on resisting or shooting, they'll be too disoriented to try. You can also toss flashbangs yourself to buy some time in critical shootouts. Remember, suspects may be armed, but they're not as armed as you are. 

Control enemy movement with door wedges

They may not seem like much, but door wedges are some of the most important pieces of equipment at your disposal in Ready or Not. They prevent doors from being opened or kicked, which allows you and your squad to move at your own pace.

Suspects in early missions will stay holed up and wait for you to approach, but later enemies are much smarter and will actively try to flank your squad. A door wedge can save your life if suspects decide to try anything. On the other hand, door wedges can also be used to keep suspects contained in one space for easier clearing.

Ready or Not is available now on the Epic Games Store.