Payday 3

As any larcenist knows, all the best robberies begin discreetly before snowballing into a wild frenzy soundtracked to upbeat electronic music. Payday 3 does this with brimming style, before running away with the money.

If you’re not a die-hard fan of the series, waiting for the server issues to be fully resolved is the best step to take right now. When that is in the past, you may dive into these initially confusing but eventually rewarding heists, knowing that the Infamy system is a stone in your shoes, but cooperating with other like-minded players is an offer you may not want to refuse…in due time.

Payday 3 provides an extremely enjoyable experience, especially when playing with a squad of friends. Despite minor problems that can become slightly frustrating, we didn't experience anything game-breaking that should deter players from not purchasing. It needs improvement, sure, but overall, this is a solid outing, packed with new experiences to enjoy, so we wouldn't have any issues recommending it as an epic introduction to the series.

Payday 3 is a great version of Payday, which in itself was a whole lot of fun. At a decent price and with frantic heist action when things go wrong there is such a lot of fun to get out of the game but we are left wondering whether we could have seen more new stuff after a decade of waiting for this follow-up. It will live or die on the loyalty of the playerbase which hopefully means it will do well.

If you're a returning player of the Payday franchise, you'll like what Payday 3 offers with multiple heists and keeping its core gameplay design intact. Increased visual fidelity is a big bonus and adding cross-play to increase the player base allows for even quicker matchmaking when the servers are actually online. The first two weeks were difficult, but once in, the confined sandbox design of cooperative heist play is still fun and addicting. Going above those means and looking for something more will mean you will be introduced to the grind of unlocking skills and more guns, no matter how m...

Payday 3 really is a great time, but only if you have a reliable group of friends to play with. It breaks my heart to say it, because there is SO much that the game does right—but until matchmaking is fixed, I recommend leaving this game in the vault with the other lesser value jewels.

A promising co-op FPS anchored to a charmless grind.

A shallow shooter that doesn't offer anywhere near enough bang for your ill-gotten buck.

For the most part, Starbreeze has delivered on its promise of a heist simulator sequel that nails the basics. Its stealth puzzle box missions are a joy to engage with, picking them apart like you would a lock as each peeled layer reveals another challenge to overcome.

Although Payday 3 has plenty of content to play the game repeatedly, I don't think it has much value for the long haul with its consistent need for an online connection and a reduced mission list. It could get better with the addition of offline mode and the upcoming missions set for the DLC, but it still needs a lot more substance to be a worthy successor of the franchise.

With a desire to attract more players to a cops and robbers experience, it’s clear Payday 3 is still continuing to improve itself while aiming to add more content over time.

Fun gameplay doesn’t change the fact that Payday 3 is in a pickle.