Payday 2

Payday 2 is a real gem of a cops and robbers game when everything clicks. Overkill manages to capture the atmosphere of classic heist movies and the gameplay is about a whole lot more than just shooting cops. Artificial intelligence is a joke though and the game is pulled down by quite a few bugs that can be anything from annoying to totally game breaking.

Overkill Software have nearly perfected this wonderful recipe and they are definitely on track to creating something exceptional.

The Payday series has the potential of becoming a huge multiplayer franchise if they had a better online function and support for mods. With Payday 2 the developer Overkill takes another step towards the goal of online domination and delivers one of this years best co-op games. Unfortunately the low budget is rather noticeable.

Best with four people and disastrous alone, Payday 2 is a co-op shooter that isn't without its faults. How much you relish the experience is going to be dependent on whether or not you can get the right mix of people involved and if such things are as much your Kryptonite as they are mine.

Despite the potential pitfalls and the actual flaws of Payday 2, things have a way of coming together.

Payday 2 could’ve been a great game that puts you in the exciting world of jewellery heists. It has potential, but the game has too many obstacles that delay experiencing the perfect heist or stop you from experiencing it completely.

Payday 2 is everything a sequel to a mediocre game should be. While there is still room for the franchise to grow, this is both an entertaining and affordable cooperative shooter. As long as potential buyers know that this is a game best played with friends, they should have a great time. Just make sure they won’t go running ahead setting off any of the security cameras.

Even with DOA single-player, Payday 2 offers a lot of bang for a below-average asking price. Debuting at $30 on Steam, its co-op action is gangbusters with the right crew of like-minded individuals. Better AI and a few more clever gameplay flourishes could have pushed it into must-play territory.

In its current form, Payday 2 is a slog, and it’s no fault of the game itself but all the bloat that surrounds it.