Payday: The Heist

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 551 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 347 out of 551
  2. Mixed: 157 out of 551
  3. Negative: 47 out of 551

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  1. T-Jooke
    Jul 15, 2012
    10
    A very fun game! What's good about it that its original and its not another army or war fps... I'l give it a solid un-chewable 10 because its original and fun online :D
  2. ace38290
    Jul 15, 2012
    10
    A very fun game, look like Left 4 Dead !
    Dynamic environments and adaptive enemy tactics, teamwork is essential to survive.

    You must have this **** game !
    ;D
  3. Freez
    Jul 14, 2012
    8
    This game is good, but man is it F***ing hard, on single player the AI teammates on normal arent tactical or smart and pretty slow, so you kinda have to play with real life people (i assume) who know what their doing with FPS games to stand a chance. You get overrun so easily near the end of the levels and it turns into just praying u get lucky to beat the level without your teamatesThis game is good, but man is it F***ing hard, on single player the AI teammates on normal arent tactical or smart and pretty slow, so you kinda have to play with real life people (i assume) who know what their doing with FPS games to stand a chance. You get overrun so easily near the end of the levels and it turns into just praying u get lucky to beat the level without your teamates dieing and you get tazed to the ground by the cops and lose. The levels are doable, but freakin hard. I speak from my single player experience. Single player on easy is hard and normal is way hard. Ive played FPS games since wolfenstein back in the day, so im no noob ( COD series is a joke compared to this) ...anyways, its a fun game, hecktic, fast pased insanity, fighting waves of cops from all directions, back, front, building roofs, heli swat drops, windows, snipers, seems like from everwhere as you try to rob certain situations...god, ok well back at er i guess, just thought id take a break and write this review and go have a cig before trying again, one more time on this level before i stop for the evening. Havent played online yet, but i hope its alot easier (guess it depends on who you play with, but the AI in this are retards) happy heisting fellas, hope ya get rich :)… Expand
  4. Ghoster
    Jun 2, 2012
    8
    I'm really not a fan of games where you don't need any shooting skills (guns without recoil and stuff like that). But Payday is AWESOME game!!!

    Gameplay score is pure 10!!! I'm giving 8 only because bad graphics and too less maps which make game repetitive. Don't be fooled with bad graphics! This game is deserved to be played!
  5. JimCorbett
    Apr 2, 2012
    3
    The floaty controls absolutely break this game. It does not flow and the enemies are either brain dead or extremely smart. The unlock system is pretty lame and not up to par with current games. THere is no introduction or anything to tell you how to play the game either, google is used for that. The game is somewhat cheap, but you only get a few missions available to play and that coupledThe floaty controls absolutely break this game. It does not flow and the enemies are either brain dead or extremely smart. The unlock system is pretty lame and not up to par with current games. THere is no introduction or anything to tell you how to play the game either, google is used for that. The game is somewhat cheap, but you only get a few missions available to play and that coupled with the broken gameplay is just a huge deal breaker for me.… Expand
  6. SamFire5
    Mar 20, 2012
    9
    When the game was out for free to try the game out, it was amazing. An amazing FPS game with you and 3 other people robbing a bank or getting a criminal or etc. The graphics in this game is amazing too! This is a really great game to get and it is worth your money. The problems you will have is online. In online, if someone joins the game, the game gets paused and will wait for the guy toWhen the game was out for free to try the game out, it was amazing. An amazing FPS game with you and 3 other people robbing a bank or getting a criminal or etc. The graphics in this game is amazing too! This is a really great game to get and it is worth your money. The problems you will have is online. In online, if someone joins the game, the game gets paused and will wait for the guy to get ready and etc. Another problem is first connection problems but, this isn't a major problem. Some games you cannot connect to the host or the host left the game. Besides those two problems it game is amazing!… Expand
  7. MagSun
    Mar 19, 2012
    6
    After my first impression on that game it develops towards a nice sparetime killer for a round or two -- nothing I could play for weeks!
    +++
    Some issues still remain: [a] AI in terms of civilian behavior, running in your line of fire while the cops seem to be able to shoot right through them without penalties, using them as human shield, [b] AI in terms of escorting behavior, forcing you    After my first impression on that game it develops towards a nice sparetime killer for a round or two -- nothing I could play for weeks!
    +++
    Some issues still remain:
    [a] AI in terms of civilian behavior, running in your line of fire while the cops seem to be able to shoot right through them without penalties, using them as human shield, [b] AI in terms of escorting behavior, forcing you to push those characters forward in two-second-shouts or loosing those characters 1.000 bullets behind, probably doing the just survived assault once again, [c] AI in terms of companion behavior, reviving before clearing a zone or reviving NPCs first while all players go to custody and thereby failing the mission, and
    [d] SWAT-clown-cars flooding the streets with cops even if no assault is going on, so you never know if to hold a position until a moment of rest or push forward until you are moments from death.
    +++
    BUT after all the game is fun and learning and knowing levels is the goal to handle challenges, offering you a real flow in the game, while in other games the sweet-spot is when you still have something to explore. The game might be dead after a month of playing but surely come up every once in a while anything else is overplayed. Once the AI would get fixed this game was really good!    … Expand
  8. Swindle
    Mar 18, 2012
    10
    This game doesn't get enough credit in my opinion. It's a solid FPS shooter with objective based items to complete in order to finish the round. The voice acting is good and the style of play is a heck of a lot of fun. The community also seems pretty cool. If I had anything to gripe about, I'd like to see more missions, as it only comes with six. Occasionally Amazon will run it forThis game doesn't get enough credit in my opinion. It's a solid FPS shooter with objective based items to complete in order to finish the round. The voice acting is good and the style of play is a heck of a lot of fun. The community also seems pretty cool. If I had anything to gripe about, I'd like to see more missions, as it only comes with six. Occasionally Amazon will run it for $5.00 - $7.49. Purchase the game download and activate your CD key using Steam. You will still get all your Steam achievements. Good way to save money on such a great game. I give it a 9.5. Two thumbs way up!… Expand
  9. Ajora
    Mar 14, 2012
    10
    Un juego mas que aceptable para jugarlo en compañia y sobretodo para jugarlo con dificultad subida.
    El apartado grafico es excelente y la posibilidad de que las situaciones vayan cambiando le da siempre un toque diferente a cada partida. Para mi muy recomendable.
    Solo encuentro algo negativo: la falta de mapas. Esperemos que en breve pongan mas!
  10. JonesR
    Mar 7, 2012
    8
    PAYDAY is very fun 4-player cooperative game. It feels a lot like the Left 4 Dead campaigns, yet offers its own identity with its bank robber foundation and character leveling--plus in L4D, you don't have to worry about the zombies shooting back at you! In fact, if you've ever watched the movie Heat, you have a good idea of what's in store. This game does require a lot of teamwork to win,PAYDAY is very fun 4-player cooperative game. It feels a lot like the Left 4 Dead campaigns, yet offers its own identity with its bank robber foundation and character leveling--plus in L4D, you don't have to worry about the zombies shooting back at you! In fact, if you've ever watched the movie Heat, you have a good idea of what's in store. This game does require a lot of teamwork to win, since you usually have to rely on teammates for ammo drops in addition to covering your ass. The campaigns are a good length and there are several levels of difficulty providing a challenge for any level player. Tasers, riot shields, bulldozers, cloakers, and hostages give it a well-rounded feel. It does lack a decent tutorial and the campaign objectives are not always straightforward, but the community has been pretty friendly in lending a hand. There are also some minor nuisances and deficiencies, but overall it's worth a look.… Expand
  11. Renan
    Mar 5, 2012
    9
    Do not let people tell you this is just a Left 4 Dead clone where the zombies have guns. Yes, this is a cooperative experience with up to four people loaded with guns. Unlike L4D, though, this one involves a lot more tactics.

    For example, you can order any civilians who are close by to lay low, and then you tie their hands behind their backs so they count as hostages. That will change the    Do not let people tell you this is just a Left 4 Dead clone where the zombies have guns. Yes, this is a cooperative experience with up to four people loaded with guns. Unlike L4D, though, this one involves a lot more tactics.

    For example, you can order any civilians who are close by to lay low, and then you tie their hands behind their backs so they count as hostages. That will change the way the police deals with you (though they will still be trying to headshot you from afar). In the first mission I played, we had to free a felon who was being freed from prison - under a heavy stream of bullets from SWAT. The way the target is finally liberated from the scenario, just before you have to run away from the place, is... Epic, to say the least.

    I'm giving a 9 because the menus could be more intuitive, and it could have more explanation about the leveling system. But asides those, this game is a gem, and a must have.    … Expand
  12. StickNik
    Mar 5, 2012
    9
    When the game first released, I was willing to try, but the trailers I had seen didn't seem to make it worth while. After playing it on Steam's free weekend, my mind has been changed. The above average graphics, good level design, and surprisingly good re-playability for some maps makes me less bothered about the downside of occasional dim-witted AI, although it isn't always the case. IWhen the game first released, I was willing to try, but the trailers I had seen didn't seem to make it worth while. After playing it on Steam's free weekend, my mind has been changed. The above average graphics, good level design, and surprisingly good re-playability for some maps makes me less bothered about the downside of occasional dim-witted AI, although it isn't always the case. I think my favourite part of the game is when you can get into the diamond vault without alerting any guards just because most times the security box spawns prevent you from hacking in fast enough. This game is best played with good, INTELLIGENT friends, and teamwork is essential. The other option of team AI is good in some cases, but it takes them a while to come to you if you call out to them. If they make a sequel, I'd like to see AI improvements mainly, but I would also like to see how they could fare in making missions have multiple endings, and not just one, with different paths to get to it.… Expand
  13. MrPibb
    Mar 4, 2012
    5
    I played the game on a free 2 play weekend on steam, and from my experience everything seemed to work alright except there was one major flaw, the enemy ai. The main complaint I have with the game is that 50% of the time the enemies will function in a typical fashion, the other 50% of the time they will just sit there doing nothing. Sometimes waves of enemies will shoot at you, otherI played the game on a free 2 play weekend on steam, and from my experience everything seemed to work alright except there was one major flaw, the enemy ai. The main complaint I have with the game is that 50% of the time the enemies will function in a typical fashion, the other 50% of the time they will just sit there doing nothing. Sometimes waves of enemies will shoot at you, other times they just remain in a passive state after spawning, sometimes entire rooms will be full of brain-dead enemies just sitting there, and when you shoot at them they still remain unresponsive. This really killed it for me. When everything works, the game is decent, but from my experience, that was only half of the time. I cannot recommend the game because of this, regardless of price.… Expand
  14. rpmcritic
    Mar 4, 2012
    7
    Great game!

    But not enough Levels or actions. For example, you can see the AI climbing fences, sliding under cars and even using railings to climb down high floors... Why can't we do that? The game is basically Left 4 Dead but with a huge horde of police, love the way you can take people and police hostage. Overall sweet game play and Nice    Great game!

    But not enough Levels or actions. For example, you can see the AI climbing fences, sliding under cars and even using railings to climb down high floors... Why can't we do that?

    The game is basically Left 4 Dead but with a huge horde of police, love the way you can take people and police hostage.

    Overall sweet game play and Nice graphics also a good selection of perks and weapons.
    Improvements could be the extra actions/levels maybe more realistic hostage situations and more realistic police tactics?    … Expand
  15. gta9246
    Mar 3, 2012
    10
    A very fun game! What's good about it that its original and its not another army or war fps... I'l give it a solid un-chewable 10 because its original and fun online :D
  16. y3ivan
    Mar 3, 2012
    5
    a very generic 4player coop shooter like l4d. However you will be shooting cops and robbing banks. The devs put extra effort in it by adding another layer of progression system. I do say it an upgraded version of kane and lynch bank heist. However i just prefer the appoarch kane and lynch2 did with its over and down system.
  17. Dethstar
    Feb 20, 2012
    6
    Dull. For the first few hours I thought something interesting might happen but I found it to play out like a gaming version of a low budget made for TV movie.
  18. ikie
    Feb 8, 2012
    9
    Despite only having five heists currently, the game suprisingly gives a lot of hours of gameplay and has tons of replay value. The mechanics of the game are great and the music and graphics fit the mood of each heist. I really love this game and hope that the promised DLCs come out soon!
  19. Postmannen
    Feb 3, 2012
    9
    If you are 4 players, this is a insane game, full of fun. And you need to coop. If everyone is just sitting without mic, the ruins very much, and get A LOT harder.
    So get 3 homies, and get ready for mayhem
  20. dangerclose
    Jan 18, 2012
    9
    It's rough around the edges, short in length, and aiming takes some time to get use to. However, in it's own way, it is very innovative. Each stage (lasting roughly 25-35 minutes) boasts with new surprises and situations depending on how you play and who you play with. No run through of any stage is ever the same. The stylish gameplay, cool concepts, and massive amounts of varietyIt's rough around the edges, short in length, and aiming takes some time to get use to. However, in it's own way, it is very innovative. Each stage (lasting roughly 25-35 minutes) boasts with new surprises and situations depending on how you play and who you play with. No run through of any stage is ever the same. The stylish gameplay, cool concepts, and massive amounts of variety within it's few stages will keep players coming back for a very long time.… Expand
  21. Infected
    Jan 13, 2012
    10
    @Xalder1 I am sorry that your computer is suffering from low specs, but it is not a right way to rate a game. This is not just any game. Its released in the year 2011 for your information. So the graphics is that way, and I am sure you will rate Battlefield 3 the same way. Just get a better PC, then start rating games from year 2008 to 2012. As for the PayDay Heist review, I personally@Xalder1 I am sorry that your computer is suffering from low specs, but it is not a right way to rate a game. This is not just any game. Its released in the year 2011 for your information. So the graphics is that way, and I am sure you will rate Battlefield 3 the same way. Just get a better PC, then start rating games from year 2008 to 2012. As for the PayDay Heist review, I personally enjoyed the game. It is full of action and it keeps your mind on the go thinking of faster ways to get things done. Graphics are not as complex as some other first person shooter and its to be improved on. Gameplay? I think its great, especially when you are in a co-op game all four computers next to each another. It takes team cooperation to another whole new level. SINGLE PLAYER, the AI are intelligent, compared to the previously released Left 4 Dead 2. The AI's are more cooperative and more dependable. They don't do all the work, but yea, they got your back good. All in all, its a great game to get for just $20. Hey! and paying to rob a bank and not get yourself killed! Thats another point! :D… Expand
  22. daimmonr757
    Jan 10, 2012
    9
    Cool game, it's not short and little!
  23. namDa65
    Jan 6, 2012
    7
    It was fun on my first runthrough of each campaign, however at the end, I found I couldn't replay the missions because the leveling system was boring.
  24. Mouse
    Jan 4, 2012
    6
    I'm hesitant to rate this, because I feel it's more a WIP then a full release, which could be attributed to executive meddling for fear of Fox News' take on a game where you kill cops. But it will always have a higher rating then MW2, for the exact reason that you still aren't allowed to kill civilians. And the cops are American. Let me say that again; a game where you're killingI'm hesitant to rate this, because I feel it's more a WIP then a full release, which could be attributed to executive meddling for fear of Fox News' take on a game where you kill cops. But it will always have a higher rating then MW2, for the exact reason that you still aren't allowed to kill civilians. And the cops are American. Let me say that again; a game where you're killing AMERICANS. Seems there's still hope for the game industry's maturing. But back to the game; some aspects do get in the way of a smooth experience for me. The gunplay seems a bit iffy, or hit-or-miss at best, the screen effects tend to get annoying, such as blood from a melee kill being mistaken for being wounded/directional damage/etc., and other things I just don't understand how to use. Once you take a hostage, what do you do with them? Leave them there? If you've got a group of decent players, nobody will be captured so there's no need to bargain. If you could take the hostages with you, that'd add to the dynamic. Other things, like the ability to take hostages, a quick command/spotting mechanic, multiple enemies, perks, the heist, dialog, and the very fact you're involved in a frigg'n heist (how awesome is that?!) make it worth playing, but I'm on the fence about calling it a good game. It's decent, but still has a few small issues to work out.… Expand
  25. LadiesMan217
    Dec 26, 2011
    7
    If you dig crime, this game is fun and well put together. Purely online, the single player mode is weaaaak. Nonetheless, playing out your fantasies of robberies and whatnot without the 20 years in the slammer hanging over your head is fun. Can't beat the price for a well put together game. There is a leveling system that gets you to play more, I'm not saying this game is on caliber withIf you dig crime, this game is fun and well put together. Purely online, the single player mode is weaaaak. Nonetheless, playing out your fantasies of robberies and whatnot without the 20 years in the slammer hanging over your head is fun. Can't beat the price for a well put together game. There is a leveling system that gets you to play more, I'm not saying this game is on caliber with other triple-A titles, but damn if I didn't have fun shooting hundreds of cops. A solid happy 7 for a great price.… Expand
  26. stopdroplol
    Dec 25, 2011
    9
    I've played almost 30 hours into this game now and have to say, the game is good. The heists are very well scripted and the whole game feels like it's from a movie (obviously what they were going for). The difficulty scales very well with the settings and overkill setting will make even a seasoned player like me struggle. New features have been added (for free) with every patch. The onlyI've played almost 30 hours into this game now and have to say, the game is good. The heists are very well scripted and the whole game feels like it's from a movie (obviously what they were going for). The difficulty scales very well with the settings and overkill setting will make even a seasoned player like me struggle. New features have been added (for free) with every patch. The only real fault the game has is it relies on enemy ai which as anyone who's played these kind of games know, can do some weird things. It' s easy to exploit the ai, making the hardest and most pivotal moments of the heists a cakewalk. But this really just comes down to the play style. Another fault would be the lack of heists/weapons/enemies but the dev's tell us more is already on the way.… Expand
  27. Apz
    Dec 23, 2011
    5
    I'll start off by saying the game is fun with friends. The problem is that just about ANY game is fun with friends, and it shouldn't be used as a crutch for the score. The screen shaking/"jelly"/red tint effects are really obnoxious and annoy the piss out of me. It feels like I should be taking the game a little more slowly and tactically, ala SWAT 4, but it is far more rewarding to justI'll start off by saying the game is fun with friends. The problem is that just about ANY game is fun with friends, and it shouldn't be used as a crutch for the score. The screen shaking/"jelly"/red tint effects are really obnoxious and annoy the piss out of me. It feels like I should be taking the game a little more slowly and tactically, ala SWAT 4, but it is far more rewarding to just rush a stage down. I think the perks system is nice, but any EXP system that insists on restricting your vertical growth (leveling up one job) to promote horizontal growth (leveling up multiple jobs) sucks ass, even if it is minuscule. Picking up team mates who are bleeding out should restrict others from trying to assist the same person. Some of the map objectives feel extremely tedious and grating, like Heat Street.… Expand
  28. Avaritia
    Dec 22, 2011
    8
    The price of this game is very appealing and from the first 30 seconds I saw that the graphics were very good for a £14 game. HOWEVER!! I could only play for 30 seconds because there is no support for controllers. It's very simple, enable controllers and I will give a perfect review.
  29. Drej_X_Army
    Dec 21, 2011
    8
    I love this game, due to its ever changing AI and Co-Op. It can get very difficult on normal and i love it. Game isnt easy and with unlocks, just makes it that much better.
  30. GameplayCrush
    Dec 14, 2011
    7
    This is a fun but casual co-op game, basacally you start on a map and have to complete several objectives and survive waves of law enforcement, theres no real story or plot, and there shouldnt be one, you can play this game for hours, or just quickly play a game or 2 before going tro work, this game does however need more content, the few available maps are not quite enough to stayThis is a fun but casual co-op game, basacally you start on a map and have to complete several objectives and survive waves of law enforcement, theres no real story or plot, and there shouldnt be one, you can play this game for hours, or just quickly play a game or 2 before going tro work, this game does however need more content, the few available maps are not quite enough to stay intresting for too long and replayabillity would be higher if there was more.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

75
#75 Best PC Game of 2011
40
#40 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
47
#47 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 27, 2012
    70
    Entertaining cooperative multiplayer is why you should try this unconventional shooter. Technical issues and obsolete visuals prevent a higher rating. [Jan 2012]
  2. GameStar
    Dec 22, 2011
    80
    Quotation forthcoming.
    Read full review
  3. PC Gamer
    Dec 1, 2011
    71
    Payday is the most exciting parts of your favorite movies cobbled together, swapping the brains for extra bullets. [Jan 2012, p.67]
See all critic reviews »