Video Game Review: PayDay 2

by Ulf Andersson 

4 Stars 

A lot like a bank heist, PayDay 2 is a game where if you choose your team wisely, everything runs like a well-oiled machine, and everyone prospers. You've already purchased a one-way ticket to San Quentin if you leave the man with the intelligence of a toaster in charge of stealing the money while you watch over the hostages. PayDay 2 is only as good as the people you play with, like most co-op games, but when everyone plays it the right way, it rewards you with challenging, high-tension action and intense running gun battles. Both the numerous systems and mechanics that feed into the main four-player co-op gameplay and the gameplay itself are very strong. Crime.net is the main gameplay mode in which you select missions from an interactive city map and are paired with some criminal associates. Every time you play a mission, factors like safety, guard, and camera placement are randomly assigned, keeping you and your friends on your toes at all times. However, in a clever and thematically appropriate move, you get dropped into case the place as civilians first so you can get a sense of what to expect. Although it may come off as crude, it's actually one of the highlights of the game, and it rewards players for taking a cunning, stealthy approach to robbing banks. Even though there are unavoidable armed conflicts on some of the longer missions, most heists are doable by a competent crew to ace without the involvement of the police. How quickly and severely police will intervene depends heavily on turning off alarms, silently eliminating guards, and effectively managing crowds of civilians. Giving the game an 8.5/10, I've never felt more like an impenetrable thief in the game. 

Reviewed by Yusuf 

View in Library Catalogue: GAME XBOX1 | GAME PS4