Nearly two years after Payday: The Heist made the world realize just how badly we needed a great heist game; Overkill Software is back with Payday 2, the long-awaited sequel to the criminally-minded first-person shooter that debuted on Steam and PSN back in October 2011.
While the original Payday excelled in numerous ways, it's widely accepted that Overkill Software's first attempt at creating the perfect heist game fell a bit short of the mark. Fans decried the game's relatively limited number of heist scenarios, along with the limited number of options that Payday: The Heist offered for completing each of the game's missions. Still, the game proved to be a popular download among PlayStation 3 and PC owners alike, virtually guaranteeing the sequel that arrived on Tuesday.
With David Goldfarb assuming the role of lead designer, a new version of the Diesel engine powering all the action and the team's new focus on incorporating easily-recognizable RPG game mechanics into the franchise, 505 Games and Overkill Software certainly seem to have the basic ingredients necessary to create an addictive new multiplayer experience. But did they manage to cook up a winner with Payday 2?
Full Disclosure: The copy of Payday 2 used for this review was provided by 505 Games and Overkill Software via a third party press representative.
Where Payday: The Heist only shipped with a total of six missions, eventually receiving three more via DLC, Overkill Software says that approximately five times as many heist scenarios have been included in Payday 2. Even better, randomized elements included in each contract should help keep the game feeling fresh long after the most dedicated Payday 2 players have committed the unchanging details of each map to memory.
Safes and vaults will regularly be found in different locations, the contents of containers (like safety deposit boxes) are randomized with each mission, and mission items like keycards will be found all over the map. At the end of the day(s), the only guaranteed constant throughout each of Payday 2's assortment of heist scenarios is the swift arrival of law enforcement personnel once the alarm bells begin to ring.
There's certainly no shortage of possible crimes to commit in Payday 2, with rampant murder a regular part of most missions and everything from small-time jewelry store smash-and-grabs to jobs involving methamphetamine production appearing in the game's new Crime.net contract system. You'll even take on a few tasks that have a bit of a political slant to them; however, those worried about the folks at Overkill Software getting on a soapbox need not be concerned. Though you will occasionally be working for politicians and political parties in Payday 2, there are no significant discussions of politics included in the game's mission dialogue.
In addition to drastically expanding the total number of options and scenarios available to those looking for a bit of heist action, Overkill Software has also given each contract a variety of difficult levels that each incorporates new and potentially deadly challenges for Payday 2 players. In fact, the number of little yellow skulls that appear in each contract's Pay Grade field, denoting added levels of difficulty, have the biggest impact on the experience and cash pay-outs which follow each successful mission.
Those who choose to accept Hard, Very Hard or Overkill contracts will find their antics attracting the attention of much better-equipped law enforcement personnel - with the most difficult tasks often being met by squads of special units like Shields, Tasers and a virtual army of Snipers all ready to bring your criminal activities to a swift end.
Sadly, all of the missions feel largely the same once the timer gets going - infiltrate a building(s), find a security room, safe(s) or vault(s), then guard whatever equipment you've brought along for your latest heist while you drill, saw or otherwise gain access to a variety of cash piles and other valuables. The game is fun, but certainly won't win any awards for innovation.
Of course, the real selling point for Overkill Software's return to the Payday franchise seems to be the game's new skill trees, introduced as part of Payday 2 lead designer David Goldfarb's pivot towards a more RPG-like progression system. As players complete more and more contracts, their Payday 2 reputation level will continue to rise, bestowing skill points which can be redeemed for a variety of skill modifiers that should make heists much easier for players as they gain more experience.
Focusing on the Mastermind skill set will grant access to an array of useful new interactions with the NPCs populating each level, along with experience, stamina and other bonuses for you and your fellow players. Low level Masterminds will soon find they can respond to guards' pagers without raising the suspicions of other security personnel, and even convince nearby civilians to lend a helping hand if they're downed by law enforcement.
Enforcers will serve as the group's muscle, wearing thicker armor and carrying extra bags of ammunition to keep everyone's guns fully loaded when the police begin to show up. At later levels, they'll even have access to a portable industrial saw which can be used to slice through a variety of obstacles, locks and even the enemies standing between you and your objectives.
Technicians will have access to a diverse array of gadgets, from sentry guns to tactical C4 charges, which can provide everything from extra firepower to faster methods for entering and exiting the buildings and vaults you'll encounter on the job. And just as you'd expect, those who choose to pore their skill points in the Ghost tree will find themselves rewarded with a variety of skills and passive boosts which increase the your loot retrieval speeds, overall value of your heist hauls and even your ability to dispatch the special law enforcement units present in Payday 2.
Unfortunately, much like its predecessor, Payday 2 left me with the distinct impression that the game needed just a bit more time in development more than it needed an earlier-than-expected debut. A number of crash-inducing bugs plague the game in its current form, leading to an abundance of game crashes that can (and will) result in numerous lost payouts (at best) and unexplained rollbacks in game progress that can cost you hours of progress (at worst).
The Safehouse also feels like a gigantic missed opportunity. While Overkill Software originally intended for your base of operations to serve as a combination game hub, training ground and personal trophy room, the current iteration of the Safehouse offers little more than an opportunity to stare at your (currently useless) "Offshore Account" funds you've accrued during your Payday 2 career. Your Safehouse also features a room which theoretically displays the guns and masks currently in your collection; however, the relatively high cost of acquiring new firearms and masks (in relation to the average mission take) will keep this room looking pretty barren for most players too.
That brings us to the AI. Apparently, the original development plan for Payday 2 didn't include AI-controlled allies, though fan backlash to the announcement forced the studio to change course relatively late in the game's development...and it shows. Neither the AI for your own squad, or that of the responding law enforcement personnel, can be described as anything but laughably bad in Payday 2. Police officers will crouch down to attack from behind non-existent cover, giving you ample opportunity to cut them down with a few rounds from your weapon of choice without ever bothering to return fire. Members of your own crew will stand by and watch as you carry each and every bag of loot from its starting spot on the map back to your escape vehicle, making many of the game's contracts feel unplayable without at least one other human teammate.
Payday 2 Review - The Final Verdict
If you're looking for a solo gaming experience, Payday 2 isn't going to be the game that scratches your itch; mostly as a result of the absolutely horrid AI that drives your non-player-controller teammates. Some relatively common bugs present in our review copy of Payday 2 will likely be considered a deal breaker for a few players as well. A number of games writers (including myself) encountered regular game crashes which were apparently tied to the game's Steam overlay integration and Cloud Save support. Several Payday 2 players with AMD graphics cards also noted what they believed to be a higher frequency of game crashes.
All of that said, when you've got a team full of players and an hour or two of crash-free game time, Payday 2 is easily one of the most fun and rewarding game play experiences that I've had all year -- and that includes some of the biggest next-gen titles I previewed during this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo. The sheer variety of new game play options available to Payday 2 players via the game's new skill trees, not to mention a drastically expanded and improved inventory system, will certainly be enough to re-hook anyone who clocked double or triple digit hours of time in Payday: The Heist. Many of the game's existing shortcomings can (and we suspect, will) be fixed in future Payday 2 updates -- in fact, Valve and Overkill Software have already confirmed they're working on a fix for Payday 2's Steam overlay issues -- and others (like occasional texture glitches) aren't enough to write-off an otherwise fantastic game play experience.
Payday 2 feels every bit as refreshing as its predecessor did at launch, despite shipping with what feels like a similar number of shortcomings; though anyone who remains uncertain about a purchase might want to spend a few minutes watching a Payday 2 live stream on Twitch.tv before shelling out $30 for the latest release from 505 Games and Overkill Software. We suspect it won't take but a few minutes to convince you though.
Bugs or no bugs, Payday 2 is one hell of a game.
Score - 3.75/5
Payday 2 is now available for purchase on Steam ($29.99 regular/$49.99 Career Criminal), and will be coming to PSN and Xbox Live by the end of Aug. 16 according to a press release from 505 Games and Overkill Software.
Be sure to check back with iDigitalTimes.com and follow Scott on Twitter for more on Payday 2 in the weeks and months to come as we continue to follow all the latest news and developments on the newest entry in Overkill Software's bank heist franchise.
Have you already had a chance to spend some time with the final build of Payday 2? Completely disagree with our analysis of the latest cooperative first-person shooter from 505 Games and Overkill Software? Want to offer your own personal Payday 2 review?
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