In barely four days, video games Ready or Not Cartoon despite a censored version and a rough communication. Decryption of an unexpected phenomenon.
After more than a year in early access Sur Steam, Ready or Not arrived in its full version in December 2023. The title was a great success, with just over 9 million units sold. And while we thought the breath fell, the tactical fps developed by Void Interactive is Arrived on July 15 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox SeriesOr He experienced a dazzling start. In just four days, without massive marketing or support from an AAA publisher, Ready or Not has passed over a million units.
A remarkable performance, especially since this console version is amputated of several contents deemed “sensitive”. Thus, the already familiar PC players of the title quickly pointed out Censorship of the console version. Certain emblematic missions, such as an intervention in a school or a queer nightclub, are absent, as well as several elements of narration and dialogue, all Without any clear explanation on the part of the developers. We take stock of this brothel.
Ready or not, here I come, you can’t hide
Originally, Ready or Not is part of the line of tactical simulations as SWAT 4 or Rainbow Six Siege. An agent of an elite unit is embodied there called to intervene in extreme situations: to force the entrance to a building occupied by hostage takers, to secure a crime scene, defuse an artisanal bomb … all in A resolutely realistic approachwhere each shot can be fatal, each expensive error, and where the use of force must always be justified by strict rules of engagement.
This mixture of tension, controlled brutality and millimeter decision -making quickly attracted PC players in search of a Fps more methodical than the average. The oppressive atmosphere (the missions show a city plagued by criminal, pedimine networks and drug traffickers), the sound design ultra realistic, and the uncompromising difficulty made Ready or Not real curiosity in the landscape of shooters, Until becoming a social phenomenon via the many viral videos broadcast on YouTube or Tiktok, where squads coordinate at the microphone of interventions of sometimes breathtaking violence.
Censure visa
But on consoles, that’s another story. For this portage, Void Interactive seems to have made the choice of Smooth its content, by deleting controversial missions (in particular those linked to the dismantling of a child pornographic network), dialogues that are too raw, and the possibility of mutilating/dismembering the bodies. The studio evokes simple adjustments, while promising that the content withdrawn could Return later in the form of an update.
The case is all the more disturbing since the studio had hitherto claimed a total freedom of tone, including in its most disturbing narrative choices. But the studio’s strategy seems to have paid since by opting for A watered down version, Ready or Not could arrive on console without coming up against a restrictive classification or rejection on the part of platforms (likely to ban overly violent games).
This double speech provoked the anger of a part of the PC community, which sees it as a denial of the initial ambitions of the game. In the process, the players hastened to launch a wave of review bombing Sur Steam, and at present, Ready or Not Displays an average of “rather negative” recent assessments, while a few weeks ago, this same average was “rather positive”.
And Ready or Not Carting despite the cuts, it is first because it is based on A proposal for clear and controlled gameplay. The tactical requirement, the intensity of the clashes, the readability of the controls and the variety of situations are enough to maintain a constant tension, even without the most controversial missions. The game knows how to capture this feeling of pressure control, where the slightest error can cost a mission or a virtual life.
To this are added a very solid technical finish for independent productionwith a sober interface, a rather coherent AI, a level design structured and a credible arsenal. The whole exudes coherence, rigor and a concern for detail which decide with the superficiality of a good part of the competition. So many elements that allow Ready or Not to seduce an audience in search of realism and controlled tension.
Ready or Not is available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series since July 15, 2025. It is also available on PC, via Steam and Epic Games Store.
