Tried PayDay 3 After 300h in Prequel. Might Be Just What We Want!

Recently, at the invitation of the Polish publisher, I was able to visit the Swedish studio Starbreeze. I finally had a chance to take a look at the long-awaited third installment of PayDay. And so, with practically no sleep the night before, excluding a couple of snores during the flight – I made two heists in the continuation of the game I spent hundreds of hours with. Mainly in the company of friends, because PayDay has never been a title for me that should be experienced alone. I wasn't alone this time either, although the circumstances weren't my cup of tea either. The group I played with actually even triggered the alarm.... in the studio, while entering the building.

Engine jump

The developers emphasized one thing during the conversation – PayDay 3 is the "ultimate fantasy" about all kinds of heists. Obvious inspirations, such as Heat with De Niro and Pacino or Ocean's Eleven with just about every Hollywood actor, are two titles that have been mentioned numerous times. And although the inspiration of these movies could already be felt in previous installments of the series, PayDay 3 seems to draw much more heavily from these works. And it definitely does it better and nicer than the previous parts. Switching to a new engine is not only a breath of fresh air when it comes to PayDay 2's slightly aged core. Unreal Engine 4 (although Starbreeze wants to switch to 5 after the launch) offers much greater graphical and mechanical possibilities. So it profits not only in cosmetics, but also in the complexity of the heists or the robbers’ movements.

Despite the iconic masks, the core of the series are the heists. I was able to make two – a classic bank robbery, and one in an art gallery. And although for veterans and enthusiasts it will sound like a reheated chop, the mentioned freshness is striking right from the start. The "maskless" part of the gameplay has been greatly expanded, allowing players to do much more than simply flag potential threats in the form of cameras or guards. Now we can easily open locks in a new mini-game and cut through those on the windows. We can also, in the way that the developers conceived, enter a building and leave with the loot with no noise whatsoever. The guards will pay attention to whether we are acting suspiciously, fiddling with padlocks, or entered a restricted area from which they will gladly escort us out. Without our faces covered, we can also hack cameras and steal the cards needed to open some rooms. This is definitely a step in the right direction, especially when compared to the previous approach, which was, well, highly incompetent.

The crux of the fun, of course, begins after putting on the mask. We can humanely neutralize the security, and use them as human shields in case of a "high-profile" approach. The same mechanics allow you to increase the number of heist spots. To open the vault, I had to bring in a manager to scan his eyeball. So bypassing security went to the very next level, and disarming the ink cartridges found on packets of banknotes not only proved to be a nice reference to the first PayDay, but also added more tension during the potentially final moments of a mission.

A slew of changes

The robbers have also gained a whole range of new moves. Since now, sliding for cover has become the norm, and jumping over obstacles does not involve being a "brick" who first has to stand on top of them – behind a wall. And finally, we're taking a larger amount of invaluable tie-wraps with us. It was literally the first question I asked during the conversation with developers. In PayDay 3, we can finally incapacitate as many civilians as needed, without thinking about how to use plastic handcuffs.

To slightly underline the gameplay variety, it's worth to mention everything that was happening during the art gallery heist. That's where the range of difficulties provided by the developers was the most visible. Position-changing lasers, pressure sensors or hidden safes with another mini-game. We even have to use a spectrophotometer to identify original, most valuable paintings. The whole thing is complete with going through vents, using alternative paths and throwing bags through a ceiling skylight. This time, however, filling the bathroom with the guards' bodies is not enough. You have to think about where to hide them to avoid detection.

And what if fecal matter hits the fan and the whole elaborate plan will go to hell? Or what if we go for a loud approach? Of course, we have to consider that the police may show up at any moment. But in PayDay 3, the hostages finally make sense, even when we plan to be armed to the teeth like Rambo. The negotiation mechanic allows you to postpone the arrival of special forces. At further stages of the heist, it will guarantee an exchange for necessary resources, such as first aid kits. But again, there will still be a shootout in the end, and although it's supposed to work better than in PayDay 2, I still prefer to perform the heist quietly.

We can wipe out the enemy with a shotgun blast or get a Fever-like experience with a sniper rifle. We can, but for me, the essence of PayDay remains stealth. There were shield-equipped troops, new gas-using opponents, as well as huge "tanks" or tasers with electricity-based weapons. They all heated up the atmosphere very effectively, even when I was setting up turrets or using new sonic gadgets.

Will PayDay 3 break the bank?

And although it sounds like a flood of novelties, in essence, we operate within the same gameplay scheme. You start the mission, learn from your mistakes, and in the end carry the bags to the right place to enjoy the cash. Never mind that instead of one of the 700 achievements, you simply complete an additional challenge. Even though the skills have become much more legible now, they still repeat the pattern from PayDay 2. The costumes that were added a few years ago are back in a more sophisticated form and with the option to customize clothes, masks and weapons – both in terms of accessories and colors.

Those who followed the development of the previous installments are well aware that after years of silence, the developers returned to providing fresh content – new heists, cosmetic elements or additional characters. The same well-developed scheme will work here too. During the conversation with the developers, it became clear that despite starting with a smaller number of heists, we can expect a LOT of add-ons in the future. As well as guest appearances, just like with John Wick, Hotline Miami, and even online creators from the H3H3 channel before.

And I don't mind. They don't change the effective mechanics, just expand them, and at the same time improve the issues. The development and variation of gameplay by using a new engine, while providing a familiar feeling and mechanics, is a natural life extension of this series. I know that sooner or later our heroes will get a hideout, seasonal items and heist locations known from previous installments. Again – I don't mind. At all. However, I was worried by the promise of cosmetic microtransactions. Optional, but still disturbing.

So, we have a sequel based on the framework of everything we've already seen. More of those elements that worked, fewer of those that didn’t. Many new gameplay solutions and a wider range of player movement, who now has the opportunity to play with a larger number of potential variables. Sometimes it looks like the biggest issue with providing new content for PayDay 2, was the old engine. And maybe that's why developer decided to create sequel.

Because everything I saw could fit into subsequent updates or DLC packs, but Starbreeze must have had their hands tied by the limitations that the Unreal Engine effectively eliminates. The game looks and works much better, it’s even being improved “as we speak,” because after listening to feedback after these tests, it turned out that the UI could use more clarity. And this desire for further development and listening to the voices of the community, which realistically influenced the shape of the follow-up makes me believe in gathering a new players and reaching those who have already spent some time with this series. And privately, I can't wait to go on more heists with my crew, regularly ruining our complicated plans.