It has been a good while since I've reviewed a videogame (June 5th, to be exact), because this industry consistently fails to understand what "spread the love" means. Far in the past - or at least it feels like it - are games like Dead Space, Hi-Fi Rush, Hogwarts Legacy, and more...all of which actually came out THIS YEAR. Meanwhile, I now have a list of games potentially 9(!) deep between now and the end of the year. A couple of those are deep RPGs that beg for tens of hours to be poured into them.
Arguably, this is a "good" problem to have, even if it still frustrates the hell out of me (where were literally any of these games this summer?) but suffice it to say that several of these reviews will be "Rapid" in nature and some of the larger ones may be multi-hour "first reactions" as opposed to ones where I've beaten 70% of the game and the done the main quest, which is usually my MO.
Payday 3 is one of the more digestible reviews ahead of me because, well, it's short. It's an online-only, co-op "only" (you can play with bots if forced) game that pits you and a crew of three others against elaborate and intense bank heists. It made a Day 1 appearance on Gamepass, which is an important distinction in my review because that's how I accessed and played the game. Otherwise, it costs $30-40 if memory serves, and honestly...my score would be different if I had paid outright for this.
It's also worth mentioning upfront that aside from some wacky stuff on launch day, I've not experienced many of the technical issues that others have. I'm not sure if those problems are mostly reserved for PC users, but my experience on Xbox with gameplay, having chat in a party, and joining games has been smooth. Finding a match usually takes me less than 20-30 seconds.
For me, Payday 3's biggest issues are neutered by the fact I got to play it for "free" (yes, I know I still pay for Gamepass). This is a game where the effort outside of the core gameplay is the bare minimum. Had I paid for it, that would have really frustrated me. The story is accessed through still-image cutscenes before and after each heist. I only needed to watch a couple of these to realize a) they were boring AF and b) completely inessential because the story didn't really matter. It's a shockingly lazy approach to a game that I consistently felt could have had an incredible single player campaign on top of the iconic co-op model, but I imagine the developers wanted to focus on what they're good at. Leveling up is enticing (the unlocks are worthwhile) but feels really slow. For 20-30 minute heists, it feels like I should be gaining 1-2 levels each time, though it's usually only 0.5-0.75. This is at odds with the amount of money you make that quickly grows to where no cost of any upgrade is too much...they're just all locked behind your XP scaling.
The fact there are only 8 heists would frustrate me too had I paid. Even at a discount, that feels like a low number BUT this is easily the lesser offense once you begin to play through them. It's clear that each one is quite distinct, memorable, and elaborate. They can be played via stealth or "going loud", providing ample opportunity to try multiple ways of doing things. Playing them stealth is almost like solving a puzzle...collect this keycard from a guard, find the code for the door, avoid all the cameras, lockpick this safe, etc. It's pretty much only possible if you're playing via chat with a group of friends (or if you're very bossy on the mic with strangers) but it can be highly rewarding to make it through 50, 75, 100% of a heist without having ever put your intimidating mask on. Even going loud is a blast most of the time anyway because the objectives come fast and furious among waves of armed police that get tougher and tougher as time goes on. Particularly in later heists, it was sometimes hard to keep up with what I should be doing at any point, but the chaos is part of the fun of it. It's often an extreme example of multitasking...defend this drill, pack up the money, move it to a spot quickly, stand in a wi-fi hotspot, crack a computer...that makes the ongoing police presence that much more hectic.
The gameplay itself looks good/great for what it needs to be and the mechanics are pretty fantastic (especially compared to previous entries from what I've heard). In a lot of ways it feels like Call of Duty, just not quite as fast, which creates a suspended state of realism of you being an accomplished bank robber, but not some super soldier...outside of the fact you can soak up an obnoxious amount of bullets. Given all the "special power" options in games these days, I do think there's some missed opportunity for mid-heist unlockables or "killstreaks". You can get a power weapon at a certain point, but it doesn't ever feel very strategic and doesn't turn the tide of the battle as much as you'd hope.
Payday 3 may stumble with almost anything that exists outside of core gameplay, but I also had to admire it during the moments where it was in perfect tune with what it does best: staging elaborate bank heists. When this game is on, it's really on, and can be tons of fun playing via both methods to try and score the most loot. If postgame support is strong and includes more levels, this continues to be a "no-brainer" option for Gamepass users, and could grow into a worthwhile purchase for those paying.
CONS
- While I didn't have many tech issues outside of day 1, take notice that others are not having the same experience
- Missed opportunity for mid-game powers or abilities
- Story and "cutscenes" are lazy and the bare minimum
- 8 heists doesn't feel like much
- Really feels like there could have been an awesome single-player campaign...
- XP unlocks are slow and off-kilter with how quickly you accrue money
- Gamepass Day 1 is always a plus
- Gunplay and mechanics feel great and there are very few frustrating elements
- Heists are long, elaborate, and unique
- The ability to play stealth or just go in guns' a blazin' adds a lot of replay value
- Multitasking during heists gets intense and enemy waves get more and more significant (and difficult) making the later stages of heists truly challenging
- Fun as hell when you're actually in the gameplay
Rath's Review Score | 7.5/10
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