Ready or Not was already a controversial game because of its content. Ironically, new Ready or Not censorship has created more controversy and incensed the existing player base. The tactical shooter has been reviewed-bombed into the ground, and we’ll explain everything for you today.
Dismemberment, gore, and nudity have been part and parcel of the Ready or Not experience since it went into early access a few years ago. The base game didn’t beat about the bush; its content is edgy and isn’t for everyone—even by adult standards.
But it’s helped to keep a thriving community engaged. As we are about to begin Ready or Not’s journey on PlayStation and Xbox, a controversial censorship stumbling block is trying to break down the door.
What Are The Ready or Not Censorship Changes?
Developer Void Interactive announced a wave of changes coming to Ready or Not that included less frequent and toned-down gore, fewer instances of nudity, and changes to the depiction of children.
A detailed Steam development briefing outlined all the changes coming to Ready or Not ahead of its console release.
It explained: “Our age rating as it stands for console is ESRB M-rating, PEGI 18, and USK 18 to give an idea. Still, there are other game content requirements that console platforms have in order to exist on their systems, and a portion of these changes will be visible on the PC version.”
The briefing goes into detail on how dismemberment still exists, but it no longer occurs once a person is dead. Meaning, you can’t further mutilate a dead body.
The blog says the level of dismemberment isn’t “toned down,” but goes on to explain: “Some character art involving torture were tuned down slightly to be less over-the-top. For example, the tortured police informant on Narcos is still missing fingers, eyes, and covered in fresh wounds and blood, but a little bit less so.
Moving on, “Some instances of explicit nudity for a handful of civilians and one suspect have been covered up a bit more,” and a previous child “convulsive animation” has been tweaked so the child now looks like it’s sleeping.
These are the main censorship changes, and while it doesn’t seem so bad, fans feel differently.
Why Has Ready or Not Been Review-Bombed?
Ready or Not is enforcing censorship changes and altering an existing product that many gamers have already paid for. Consumers are unhappy that the game has lost the gritty edge that many purchased and feel it’s a different game with a clear money-motivated message.
As of July 3, Steam’s ‘All Reviews’ aggregate for Ready or Not is excellent and still shows a ‘Very Positive’ rating. On the other hand, ‘Recent Reviews’ have plummeted to a ‘Mostly Negative’ rating.
“Do not buy this game. Do not support a company like VOID Interactive. The game wasn’t perfect initially, but now they are choosing to censor it,” said Braaaaains, “The game was a success for its very RAW and dark it showcased it’s world. Now, they are censoring this very thing to make a quick buck from the console market,” said mahilporko07, and “One of my favorite games since 2023, when I started playing. It’s a shame they are forcefully CENSORING the game,” said Rakun.
This is just a small sample of negative reviews not in favor of the censorship. The overwhelming feeling is that the developer has sold out and changed some of the more extreme content to ensure it can have a console release and make more money. With Ready or Not’s console release so close, it will be interesting to see if the developer backtracks.
Do you think the review-bombing outrage for Ready or Not is fair? Has Void Interactive changed too much to ensure the FPS meets age-rating standards and secures its PS5 and Xbox release? Drop some comments on the subject through the free Insider Gaming forum.
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Andy is Insider Gaming's Senior Evergreen Editor and has been in the games journalism sphere in one way or another for over 7 years. His video game taste is as…
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