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. tech-noir
    Sep 5, 2013
    7
    Although the idea sounds much better than it's executed, it still manages to be tense, fun, and rewarding. The difficulty level is high, and successful heists give the player a true sense of accomplishment. Weapon and item variety is limited, but the progressive upgrades and unlocks system is quite good.
  2. Cairnexus
    Jul 20, 2013
    8
    The concept is truly amazing...having a 4 player co-op game is always a blast. If I could compare it to anything I would compare it to Left 4 Dead, in the style of how fluid the movements are and how quick and easy the game is to learn. There is a few things that prevent this from getting a 10 from me. First if you play this alone or even with any computer AI on your team its really hit orThe concept is truly amazing...having a 4 player co-op game is always a blast. If I could compare it to anything I would compare it to Left 4 Dead, in the style of how fluid the movements are and how quick and easy the game is to learn. There is a few things that prevent this from getting a 10 from me. First if you play this alone or even with any computer AI on your team its really hit or miss on what will happen. Second the AI on harder difficulties are really skewed they are still not very smart when you are in a room alone or kiting them around something over and over. In short if you learn the "tricks" you can really abuse the AI and make the game extremely easy. Lastly the leveling system is really confusing and I'm not entirely sure how it works still. But beyond those minor things the game really has a great chance to shine and the sequel will be coming out shortly (and will hopefully improve on these weak points). So I give it an 8 from multiplayer perspective and 6 for single player experience.… Expand
  3. BrothaGreg
    Aug 11, 2013
    10
    I feel like the rest, when I seen the trailer I was like ehhhhhh. When I played I felt like a real criminal lol! Sony and Overkill have done a fantastic job on this game. There is never any problems or crashes and I just love the Graphics! I would recommend this game to anyone 18 plus!
  4. LacquerHead
    Oct 30, 2012
    10
    $4.99 on Steam sale, and I'm having a great time.. Yes co-op kicks ass! Nothing like getting some friends online and exececuting a flawless heist.. And killing a **** of cops..
  5. Flumpor
    Aug 31, 2012
    9
    Upon playing about 25 hours with my friends I think it´s time for a rundown.
    Let´s start with the good things:
    - Incredibly Atmospheric: The music is some of the best I heard in a while and it really makes you feel the intensity of the battle and the quiet moments + the music at the end of a completed heist makes you really feel like a smart gangster. - Great Leveldesign:    Upon playing about 25 hours with my friends I think it´s time for a rundown.
    Let´s start with the good things:
    - Incredibly Atmospheric: The music is some of the best I heard in a while and it really makes you feel the intensity of the battle and the quiet moments + the music at the end of a completed heist makes you really feel like a smart gangster.
    - Great Leveldesign: For people who say they hate that this game is only shooting, you aren´t really that right. There are more then one way for a lot of the missions. For Example Mercy Hospital, you can go in and play a game of chance with the Teddybear Chainsaw (shooting) or hold people hostage, shoot down the cameras, dress up as Doctors and get the blood from him without even killing one person and there are more examples, some are really just shoot missions but incredibly stylistic.
    - Customization: While it takes some time to get all of the items it is not really annoying because you always have a reason to do what you do as a player since every mission should be 1-2 Levels up. Plus the Items really differ, from Health Packs to Sentry Guns or Shotgun to SMG you got it, except Sniper Riffle but why would you snipe on a heist?
    - Great Co-Op experience: This is the most important point, you need to have 3 to 4 people playing this game with you and a Teampseak or Skype Server but if you do, oh my is this game fun. You really need to come up with a strategy if you want to do Achievements or beat the Overkill difficulty, and only one of you needs the DLC so that everyone can play (You still don´t have the Technician class but what counts are the maps). And if you don´t have friends, or they don´t like Videogames, there probably are some cool people you can meet on the Internet.

    But there are also some bad things about this game:
    - No Explanation: Until I figured out I was able to Change my Class (Tab + 1-3) I was already level 11 and even if I love the level design you can get easily lost, you will be right on your track a few seconds later but nontheless annoying.
    - Unrealistic: While you have the feeling of being an amazing sophisticated Robber, you really start wondering if you just killed the entire Police department of ... the USA and I don´t know but it just bugs me that the enemies are so numerous but so weak.
    - Difficulty: It is always challenging which is a good thing but sometimes the game just feels to pull out a **** you Card by letting a Spec Ops leap into you from above and knocking out 1-3 People instantly.

    Resume: Payday is an incredibly immersive and fun Co-Op Shooter which has tons of replay value and variety but has some problems here and there. All in all, definitely worth to check out if you have friends    … Expand
  6. Winstonthebeast
    Aug 8, 2012
    9
    Some pretty good graphics, A fast paced fps robbery how much more can you ask for. I honestly tnk from watching the trailers it make it look like yo had more outside freedom but you really dont but it makes up for the robbery freedom and also gives you egleest a good half an hour for each hiest so its more realistic in a sense
  7. tadchav
    Aug 9, 2012
    9
    Well besides getting this on sale on steam for ONLY 5 dollars, I am very pleased with my investment. The game-play is very original and can be challenging when it needs to. I failed the first bank heist 2 times but I had so much fun doing it that I kept playing again. The leveling system is not very polished but it is fair and gets the job done. Overall 9 out of 10
  8. Lavaground
    Aug 26, 2012
    10
    Well i don't have to repeat what most people already said. I'd rather like to advise that group of "negative" reviewers to play this game with friends and voip, talk to each other or die trying xD Random gameplay gets really hard in higher levels, but is still possible. My tip for "BattleKeks": Try to do the heist "Plan A" Style, the first door is not intended to be sawed open, you have toWell i don't have to repeat what most people already said. I'd rather like to advise that group of "negative" reviewers to play this game with friends and voip, talk to each other or die trying xD Random gameplay gets really hard in higher levels, but is still possible. My tip for "BattleKeks": Try to do the heist "Plan A" Style, the first door is not intended to be sawed open, you have to do the heist the "right" way to bypass this ;)

    The new level are really great and as expected very challenging. I don't know any shooter which is harder to complete/master/achieve the this one, maybe DayZ but thats kind of another genre so it's out of competition. It's the "I wanna be the Guy" of FPS xD

    Highly recommended to buy and enjoy and also the big advise to play this game with people you know !    … Expand
  9. bart567
    Sep 9, 2012
    10
    Payday: The Heist is one of the best Indie shooters around at the moment, and with a growing community and DLC's in the wings, Overkill software have made a triumphant splash into the gaming world with their debut title.

    Like many others, I was skeptical when I first saw trailers for this game. It looked clunky and low quality, but I thought twenty dollars was not much of a risk.    Payday: The Heist is one of the best Indie shooters around at the moment, and with a growing community and DLC's in the wings, Overkill software have made a triumphant splash into the gaming world with their debut title.

    Like many others, I was skeptical when I first saw trailers for this game. It looked clunky and low quality, but I thought twenty dollars was not much of a risk. Looking back, I would have paid much, much more for this game than I did. The action is brutal and fast, the gunplay is awesome, and the gameplay is flawless. The upgrade system leaves for massive replay value.

    This is one of the best PC shooters around. Buy it now, you wont regret it.    … Expand
  10. tighra
    Nov 3, 2012
    9
    Great game, exiting missions and challenging difficulty levels. The grafic is also ok. You can adjust your equip to your needs exactly. If you play as single player your KI-Mates will follow your calling. For the higher difficult grade its necessary to play with real people together.
  11. killing4cookies
    Nov 3, 2012
    9
    Payday:the heist is a first person shooter indie game made by the company overkill, their first game and a very good job of it. It takes you to a group of 4 bank robbers (you being one of them) they are all controlled by players, although the game does have AI for robbers instead of players, this AI has a common phraise know as **** They dont complete mission objectives, making singlePayday:the heist is a first person shooter indie game made by the company overkill, their first game and a very good job of it. It takes you to a group of 4 bank robbers (you being one of them) they are all controlled by players, although the game does have AI for robbers instead of players, this AI has a common phraise know as **** They dont complete mission objectives, making single player quite the pain in the ass, and will just be plain stupid. Like reviving you almost instantly in front of the entire pissed off Chinese army and wondering off like there's zero **** given. However these small errors can be overlooked by simply playing the game. It's a real joy, the music sounds like a continuing countdown to the next epic assault wave, the reloading and shooting feels real and powerful. You honestly feel like a hardcore robber without having to go into gregge and threaten the guy at the counter with a (clearly fake) water pistol, and later getting arrested.
    Although not explained, this game has a levelling up system, and a quite good one for that fact. The enemies aim very well with very powerful shots forcing you to take cover and work as a team, somthing not seen so often with new modern games. The graphics look very photo realistic and slick allowing you to dive into the games atmosphere even more. So you may think "well that's all good but there's a serious lack of content here I mean there's only like 9 missions?" we'll I can tell you that these are very long and very good missions, they are all extremely different from each other and all give you a new experience. There's different ways of doing them and they are all an average of 45 mins. And the game may say great replay ability, I thought this was meanly an excuse but they weren't kidding. I've played that first world bank mission close to 50 times give or take a few. Trust me I there's plenty of content. All In all payday is a wonderful game. Another thing is it doesn't have dedicated servers so playing can be annoying with unreliable hosts and bad servers but you can always host your own if your willing to wait five minuets. It's good all round and though it has some faults they can all be overlooked by the sheer fun and enjoyment you'll get out of it.    … Expand
  12. Your_Jesus
    Nov 7, 2012
    10
    Best 20 bucks you could ever spend, really great game, great teamwork, great maps, or heists :P, would really recommend this game for anyone who wants a really good game.
  13. Nightshadow
    Nov 22, 2012
    10
    When I read some papers this game was considered as a little brother of L4D only with cops instead of zombies. In that reviews the game look not very good. When I tried it I found that this game is amazing than L4D. The soundtrack is very good, the game isn't a only way from start point to end point but you need to move continuosly in the map for complete goals or take the police in theWhen I read some papers this game was considered as a little brother of L4D only with cops instead of zombies. In that reviews the game look not very good. When I tried it I found that this game is amazing than L4D. The soundtrack is very good, the game isn't a only way from start point to end point but you need to move continuosly in the map for complete goals or take the police in the back. It's more strategic than most fps that I tried and is good to play in solo as in multiplayer (but if you have a good team with vocal chat is better)
    IA isn't very smart but this is a multiplayer game first so it's acceptable and the graphics isn't top, but in a game where you need online people is good because also old PCs can run it
    Replayability is high because cops don't spawn from the same areas (or if they, they can be of others tipe), also every heist have some story variables that can change the battlefield, so every game is a "new" game also if the map have the same name.    … Expand
  14. llamahobo
    Dec 8, 2012
    10
    Fantastic Game.
    Great fun, good by yourself, but much better cooperative. Hours and hours of fun with your Mates!
    Great cooperative game and very well done, also considering this was their first game (Overkill) the deserve a high five. the only downside is there isn't more heists! although, 6 is actually good because they change every time you play it and there is the no mercy map (free    Fantastic Game.
    Great fun, good by yourself, but much better cooperative. Hours and hours of fun with your Mates!
    Great cooperative game and very well done, also considering this was their first game (Overkill) the deserve a high five. the only downside is there isn't more heists! although, 6 is actually good because they change every time you play it and there is the no mercy map (free for pc :D) and the 2 dlc maps which also give you a new unlock tree. :D :D :D :D :D BUY THIS GAME RIGHT NOW    … Expand
  15. CustardInc
    Apr 22, 2013
    9
    A very good game, not your usual twitch shooting, run in and kill 'em all first person shooter, which makes a nice change. My only criticisms are that it is very difficult to play the game solo and that it seems to take quite a while to rank up and unlock new guns (about 4 hours of gameplay and no new guns so far, I don't mind all that much though).
  16. MaxHazard
    Jan 12, 2013
    8
    While nothing ground breaking, Payday: The Heist does deliver. What exactly does it deliver? Pure cooperative arcade styled action packed fun! Do not expect next-gen graphics are AAA assets, but do expect to have a blast either taking down 'the man' or screwing around with friends. This game does what many have failed to do over the past decade... Focus on fun!
  17. jangers
    Nov 28, 2014
    7
    Great co-op game ! Possible to play pleasant even with bots. Unfortunately, there are quite a few heists and the same randomness of events, doing the same action several times can quickly get bored. Rescue for boredom is a lot of difficulty levels, gaining achievements and upgrading characters.
  18. Dielo
    May 31, 2013
    10
    Very good game, full of fun... is the best game to play with your friends. I do not like that i need to pay for the DLC, but its ok, was a cheap game, i only payed 5 dollars for it. The game is for me a 9.5
  19. Basem101
    Aug 20, 2013
    7
    nice game although it is bad as a single player but the only way to play this gane is co op multiplayer graphics are good sound and music are awesome
  20. azgoodaz
    Jan 8, 2015
    8
    This is the game that made Payday popular. Payday is filled with unique heist missions to get jewels, or money. But within these heist missions you can either go into them run and gun or how most people do it by doing it stealthy. A lot of people also do speed runs on the hardest heist missions so people can compete against each other to see who can do the mission the fastest but withoutThis is the game that made Payday popular. Payday is filled with unique heist missions to get jewels, or money. But within these heist missions you can either go into them run and gun or how most people do it by doing it stealthy. A lot of people also do speed runs on the hardest heist missions so people can compete against each other to see who can do the mission the fastest but without getting caught.… Expand
  21. ritardedartkid
    Dec 27, 2013
    8
    Surprisingly fun. I didn't expect to enjoy this game so much, but I guess there's just something intriguing about being a bank robber. Despite only having 6 heists there's a ton of replayability as parts of each heist are randomly generated. Unlockable weapons and player upgrades are dispersed throughout the skill tree basically taunting you into playing just a little bit more to unlockSurprisingly fun. I didn't expect to enjoy this game so much, but I guess there's just something intriguing about being a bank robber. Despite only having 6 heists there's a ton of replayability as parts of each heist are randomly generated. Unlockable weapons and player upgrades are dispersed throughout the skill tree basically taunting you into playing just a little bit more to unlock something new. The game is a little rough around the edges with occasional glitches, enemies getting stuck in walls, and the UI can be difficult to use, but overall it's a great first release from Overkill Software.… Expand
  22. nikoooo
    May 4, 2013
    9
    After hours of playing this game, all I can say is wow. This game is amazing. It focuses on teamwork and communicating with each other. The gameplay is very face-paced as the police attacks you wave after wave and the more bulldozers, tazers, and cloakers come, the more tension you build and the more fun it gets. The graphics, in my opinion, are gorgeous. It's not Battlefield 3 or Crysis,After hours of playing this game, all I can say is wow. This game is amazing. It focuses on teamwork and communicating with each other. The gameplay is very face-paced as the police attacks you wave after wave and the more bulldozers, tazers, and cloakers come, the more tension you build and the more fun it gets. The graphics, in my opinion, are gorgeous. It's not Battlefield 3 or Crysis, but for a $20 game, you can't go wrong. There are some minor problems I have with this game, though. When you're interacting with something like reviving your teammate, fixing a drill, etc, it doesn't let you look around you and the mouse acceleration. I don't really mind the 1st one but Overkill is fixing that in Payday 2 which is great news, but mouse acceleration was a huge problem for me when I first got the game. However, I soon got used to this and Overkill has also been trying to fix the problem. I was saddened when I found out there were no mods available because of the engine the game is running on. Hopefully Payday 2 will be more flexible with mods and such. If this game was a $50 title, I would grab it. Amazing co-op game.
    9/10    … Expand
  23. CroReviews
    Jan 3, 2014
    7
    I like the game. Even though it has small amount of weapons, and skill tree is lacking, not a bad game. The game was remastered and improved in Payday 2. And supposedly, the movie with the same name will be released in the year 2014!

    I would rate this 7/10.
  24. WarriorPancake
    Aug 16, 2013
    7
    Chains! The drill, it's bloody broken!
    ------Hoxton

    Yeah this game is actually amazing, some of the best parts of the game is when something goes out of control or wrong.

    8/10!
  25. theswaggerest
    May 26, 2013
    8
    One of the best multiplayer games I've ever played. The AI is some of the worst I've ever seen though. I hope they put more effort into the second one's AI, cause if this one had at least alright AI, it would have been a 10.
  26. MrCyberDino
    Aug 9, 2013
    9
    Upon hearing of the game, I was hyped. It looked like the mission green leaf clover from gta 4 but instead in a full game. The missions are very good fun, especially if you have a full team of mates, but even in single player the AI does a very good job. The graphics are quite good for a 20 dollars game compared to other downloadable titles. The game play is fast paced and very good. theUpon hearing of the game, I was hyped. It looked like the mission green leaf clover from gta 4 but instead in a full game. The missions are very good fun, especially if you have a full team of mates, but even in single player the AI does a very good job. The graphics are quite good for a 20 dollars game compared to other downloadable titles. The game play is fast paced and very good. the gunplay holds up well and there are enough maps and enough unlockables to keep payday interesting. Only some minor gripes would be that the AI is flawed, as they are clearly not a person, and the 1st mission is gthe only one where you rob a bank, and I wish there were a few more bank robbing missions, and the player had a bit more imput into the missions. Overall, the game is definitely worth the $20 and is worth your time.… Expand
  27. Uback
    Jun 13, 2013
    9
    Hmm Payday... This game is just so much fun. But only the MP-part though. It's not really fun to play with the AI since it is kind of dull. But the game overall feels great. The guns have a certain kick in them, they feel power full and the enemies are tough. It is for once a shooter game that require a certain tactic. One person can't just run out in the open like a mad man, and expect toHmm Payday... This game is just so much fun. But only the MP-part though. It's not really fun to play with the AI since it is kind of dull. But the game overall feels great. The guns have a certain kick in them, they feel power full and the enemies are tough. It is for once a shooter game that require a certain tactic. One person can't just run out in the open like a mad man, and expect to run from it in good shape.
    The game is very recommendable    … Expand
  28. AngryScotsman
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    Payday The Heist is one of those games where you are unsure of whether its good or not but when you eventually buy it it is very addicting. Payday's Graphics are very nice. The game play is a smooth experience and has great elements involved, there aren't a mountain of weapons like you see in some FPS' but theres enough for you to enjoy. The levelling system is a cool feature you have toPayday The Heist is one of those games where you are unsure of whether its good or not but when you eventually buy it it is very addicting. Payday's Graphics are very nice. The game play is a smooth experience and has great elements involved, there aren't a mountain of weapons like you see in some FPS' but theres enough for you to enjoy. The levelling system is a cool feature you have to acquire a certain amount of cash altogether and you can level up picking between which class tree you want to go down Assault, Sharpshooter or support, these can be changed at any time in-game by holding Tab and pressing the 1,2,3 or 4 (4 is a dlc class that is called the technician). Overall the game is amazing its great to play play with 3 other people (preferably friends because communication is key in this game although the in-game voice chat is pretty poor) and have a good time. For £14.99 this game is well worth it and if you're unsure there is always the steam sales.… Expand
  29. GiGGiTYZz
    Jun 19, 2013
    8
    I bought this game on Steam for a mere $5 including the DLC and is easily my favorite shooter in my Steam library. The only place it lacks is the amount of missions. Overall a fantastic game to play with your friends.
    Highly recommend :D
  30. LaMagiadeVirue
    Aug 24, 2013
    6
    Buenos gráficos, buena jugabilidad, pero llega en algunos puntos a ser aburrido. No es un juego para jugar horas como otros FPS, pero es interesante la idea del juego y la cantidad de tiros que reparte.
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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 »