Realistic tactical shooter review bombed after being forced to censor content

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Popular tactical shooter Ready or Not is known for its hyper-realism. However, in preparing to launch the game on console, developers were required to scale back certain parts of the experience. In response, hardcore players are now review bombing the Steam page, arguing devs have compromised their morals.

Without beating around the bush, Ready or Not (2023) makes no compromises in its content. This game drops you into the role of a SWAT team member and thrusts you into some of humanity’s most harrowing scenarios.

In the course of its 18 primary chapters, you might find yourself dismantling a criminal network that distributes inappropriate content involving minors, or reacting to a tragic school shooting incident. These scenarios merely scratch the surface of what this series encompasses; you should have a good grasp now.

As a passionate admirer, I must confess that the work of VOID Interactive is not for the faint-hearted and has stirred debates due to its fearless approach towards delving into profoundly dark subjects. Despite the controversy, this dedicated team has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to their vision, promising to stay true to it, even if it ruffles feathers along the way.

Until very recently, that was the situation. However, the highly anticipated PC game is now arriving on PS5 and Xbox Series X | S on July 15, 2025. Consequently, developers have been forced to implement some significant changes. Although they claim these alterations are minimal, it has sparked a strong reaction, with dedicated players responding by downgrading the game’s Steam ratings.

Ready or Not censorship changes explained

In a blog post dated June 28, VOID Interactive officially announced that the game Ready or Not would be subject to censorship due to platform-specific regulations. As a result, the game will undergo censorship not only on consoles but also on PC platforms.

To maintain fairness across different platforms and avoid compatibility issues such as bugs, the developers opted to ensure that all versions of the game remain the same, rather than allowing the PC version to progress independently. This way, crossplay functionality would work smoothly.

Developers reassured users that there’s no need for concern regarding the content updates. They explained that these alterations were merely the ones marked as necessary by their primary collaborators.

To begin with, I’m glad to say that the game developers have dialed down some of the intensely gory elements a bit. For instance, as a player now, I can no longer dish out excessive brutality towards defeated foes like I used to. It’s a relief, really.

In the end, we view this as a decent concession because our game’s design inherently discourages the employment of lethal force.

As a gamer, I’ve noticed that some explicit content, like nudity, is being handled with a bit more discretion, and the intensity of certain artistic depictions involving torture seems to have been toned down to avoid excessive violence.

Completing our updates are modifications to missions featuring minors, an essential aspect the developers continue to uphold for ensuring the game’s authenticity remains intact.

Though we’ve been diligent in portraying child mistreatment responsibly within our game, we’ve slightly broadened this approach to align with stricter certification requirements. For instance, the child character in ‘Twisted Nerve’ now has an animation change to appear unconscious or sleeping, rather than the previous convulsive animation.

Essentially, VOID Interactive considers these changes as being minor and subtle, to the point where many might not even realize them unless informed. However, their primary intention was to maintain transparency. Regrettably, this blog post seems to have sparked a significant amount of criticism instead.

Ready or Not review bombed over censorship changes

Given the content of the recent blog post, it appears that some members of the community, mainly those who are avid gamers, have started to give the PC version of Ready or Not negative reviews en masse.

Despite maintaining a Very Positive overall rating from about 200,000 user evaluations, the game currently has around 3,500 more recent reviews categorized as Mixed at the moment I’m writing this.

Some users who prefer PC gaming feel frustrated due to certain decisions that seem to prioritize console gamers over them.

Review bombing has begun already
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On various social media platforms, disgruntled gamers are making parallels with console exclusives such as The Last of Us Part 2, contending that the explicit material in that game surpasses what’s found in Ready or Not.

Despite the criticism, some still feel that the alterations won’t spoil their gaming experience. For instance, a post on the game’s subreddit states, “I am still preordering Ready or Not as they only censored a few minor aspects.

So far, VOID Interactive hasn’t made any public statements regarding recent issues, following their June 28 blog post. On the other hand, the game “Ready or Not” continues to move forward towards its console launch, scheduled for July 15.

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2025-06-30 04:49