Payday 2

Introduction

Likely inspired from films such as Heat or The Dark Knight as well as the brilliant bank heist level in Grand Theft Auto IV, the original Payday: The Heist broke out in 2011 as a download only title and caught the interest of PC gamers around the globe. Fast forward a couple years and the creators have launched Payday 2 on the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. At its core, Payday 2 is a cooperative game designed to be played with three friends in order to strategically enter a bank and keep the situation under control while robbing the joint for the maximum amount of loot.

The Game Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

Similar to Left 4 Dead, the Payday franchise is light on backstory and focuses on multiplayer co-op action to drive the narrative. Players take control of one of four characters, Dallas, Chains, Hoxton, and Wolf and each character has a specific specialty. The Mastermind attempts to keep the hostages under control and can heal other players when under fire from the police. The Enforcer is a heavily armored weapons specialist that offers up ammo resupply to players and can suppress incoming forces. The Technician is the safecracker that has an expertise in explosives and the long range rifle as well as a handy sentry gun to protect him when cracking the vault. Finally, the Ghost is a stealth specialist that can disable electronics, pick locks and dispatch guards silently without alerting bank employees.

When launching a new heist, players connect to an online virtual map called Crime.net. The maps contain all ongoing missions, some of which are a single level and others that are broken into several stages. In addition, there are levels that require knocking off multiple targets at the same time; definitely a task that requires a coordinated effort between team members. The multi-stage missions can be particularly entertaining, especially when your entire team sticks around for the whole narrative. Interestingly, the same mission changes significantly on a new playthrough due to alternative camera placements, an increased number of guards, a change in the placement of the getaway van and other dynamic factors that are altered on each load.

While some missions are clearly designed to be played with intimidation and lots of gunfire, there are a large number that can be approached with stealth in mind. While stealth is a more difficult route, sneaking through a bank without alerting the staff can be incredibly exhilarating. If you can manage to take out the guards, disable the alarms and keep the hostages under control, the police response is significantly less forceful and it's easier to make the escape at the end of the heist.

As your team completes these missions, players are awarded with money, some of which is stored in an offshore account and some of which can be spent on upgrades such as new equipment or skills. If you are focusing on a specific specialty, earning skill points to rank up your character is vital. Personally, I've been focusing on the Technician and unlocking skills like drill efficiency, sentry targeting and an increased number of trip mines to protect my location.

Sadly, it's nearly impossible to play Payday 2 without co-op partners. Similar to the first game, the artificial intelligence is completely brain dead. Don't bother attempting to rely on A.I. teammates to do anything during the heist. You basically need to be a one-man show and simply hide behind your idiotic partners when the police show up to shut down your bumbling operation. The A.I. is horrible about completing objectives and carrying the loot; frankly it's not even worth playing without a full team of co-op friends.