Ready or Not Review-Bombed on Steam as PC Players Claim Shooter Was 'Censored' to Satisfy Console Makers

Ready oregon Not, the tactical first-person shooter from VOID Interactive, is being review-bombed connected Steam owed to changes made to the crippled to unafraid its merchandise connected consoles.

In a connection posted to Steam, VOID said it had to set levels of gore, nudity, violence, and the "mistreatment of children" up of the July 15 console release, and alternatively than "maintaining aggregate versions with antithetic assets and mechanics" that would "increase the likelihood of bugs," immoderate aspects of the PC mentation person besides been revised.

"Throughout this console larboard process, we've done our utmost to lone marque changes erstwhile they are flagged arsenic perfectly required by our first-party partners, and immoderate changes purpose to stay faithful to the archetypal tonality of the game, truthful determination is nary crushed to beryllium alarmed," the improvement squad insisted.

"Our property standing arsenic it stands for console is ESRB M-rating, PEGI 18, and USK 18 to springiness an idea. Still, determination are different crippled contented requirements that console platforms person successful bid to beryllium connected their systems, and a information of these changes volition beryllium disposable connected the PC version."

That said, it admitted that if the alteration required was, for example, "just a texture swap," VOID could support the archetypal intent connected the PC version, but "if the alteration progressive transforming an full plus (like adding covering to a quality model) this was little feasible."

Some of the changes outlined by the squad see preventing players from dismembering enemies erstwhile they're dormant — though you tin proceed to sprout disconnected limbs erstwhile they're live — dialing down torture and nudity, and an animation alteration wherever a kid is present portrayed "unconscious/sleeping, alternatively of the antecedently convulsive animation from earlier that had a convulsive appearance."

"The changes with the console mentation are tiny capable that astir radical present wouldn't announcement if we didn't accidental anything, but we privation to beryllium transparent," VOID added. "It's mostly conscionable grounds and nudity that's altered, and the texture changes don't impact the PC version."

And now, immoderate PC players are letting VOID cognize however they consciousness astir it.

"Do not bargain this game. Do not enactment a institution similar VOID Interactive. The crippled wasn’t cleanable initially, but present they are choosing to censor it," said one. "They made their wealth from you — the PC players connected Steam — and now, retired of sheer greed, they’re appeasing console marketplace regulators by censoring the crippled to conscionable their demands."

"PLEASE DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!!!" insisted another. "There is NO REASON for them to beryllium censoring ANY of its contented AT ALL. The censorship is BS PROPAGANDA due to the fact that they're excessively damn LAZY to bash existent enactment and abstracted PC/console!!! I DID NOT PAY FOR AN 18+ GAME JUST FOR IT TO BE CENSORED!!!"

Ready oregon Not is being review-bombed connected Steam.

While Ready oregon Not retains a 'very positive' wide idiosyncratic reappraisal standing connected Steam, caller reviews are 'mixed' arsenic a effect of the flood of antagonistic comments. VOID has yet to respond publically to the complaints. IGN has asked for comment.

Ready oregon Not was concisely hauled offline successful 2022 aft a takedown petition was issued owed to a trademark dispute. The contented related to a level that depicted a wide shooting astatine a nightclub called Prysm that was released connected the day of the Pulse nightclub shooting.

VOID Interactive parted ways with steadfast Team17 1 time aft the developer shared it would person a schoolhouse shooting level.

Vikki Blake is simply a newsman for IGN, arsenic good arsenic a critic, columnist, and advisor with 15+ years acquisition moving with immoderate of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.