Payday 2

Payday 2 is still a good, solid cooperative shooter, and the Nintendo Switch version offers plenty of characters, weapons, abilities and heists. However, graphics-wise the game fails to deliver and the lack of voice chat can't be ignored this time around.

Payday 2 on Nintendo Switch will not revolutionize the genre, but it's a very good porting, except for some technical issues and no voice chat at launch. An enjoyable cooperative FPS, so far.

Payday 2 is an absolute ball when it’s at its best. It gives such a good feeling as you grow from nothing, gradually unlocking more effective skills and equipment and taking on tougher heists. It’s even better when you’re playing with other people because you can complement each other with your different skillsets and split up the mission objectives between each other; there’s a harmony in the chaos you cause. The unfortunate thing though is that between the missing content and the performance issues, the Switch port is far from the definitive version. As someone who already loved the game I can endure the drawbacks in order to get a portable version of the game, because it is really good when it comes together! But at the same time it’s so hard to recommend newcomers to take a gamble with it at full RRP. Wait for a sale or a patch, because there’s something great hiding behind the issues.

As with other games, PayDay 2 sacrifices some content and updates to make it to the Switch. If you don't care that much about the content and having the game on a hybrid platform is appealing, then you'll enjoy this version.

Payday 2 is definitely getting long in the tooth, but the game’s appearance on Nintendo Switch is a good, solid port of the game. All of the same quirks and quibbles remain the same, there’s the lingering question from how the game has been supported in the past, and there’s the simple fact that we’ve seen all of this in higher fidelity elsewhere, but if you’ve got a burning desire for some co-op heisting fun on Switch, then this will scratch your itch to live outside the law.

While PayDay 2 certainly needs a touch of polish and a bit more love given to it, OVERKILL has a solid game on their hands. If they give the Nintendo Switch version the continued support they gave the previously-released versions of the game, I see a great, and beautiful future ahead.

Payday 2’s devotion to its core gameplay mantra makes it a unique way to team up with other players on Switch, but it does seal the game’s mechanics in a time capsule that only serves to noticeably age it when seen through the prism of 2018. The inclusion of many of the game’s far more exciting DLC missions as standard does make its diverse mix of heists a more tantalising prospect for new adopters, and the relatively smooth port means it's a great way to experience the FPS on a handheld, but with the game launching with a year's worth of updates and content missing make its relatively high price tag stick out like a sore thumb.

Despite bringing all the content for its plethora of releases, Payday 2 simply needed a touch more polish to truly feel at home on the Switch. If OVERKILL continuously supports this version of Payday 2 like it supports its PC counterpart, I see a vivid future where rare random framerate issues, unresponsive AI, and blurry textures can truly be a long forgotten memory.

At the end of the day, Payday 2 for the Nintendo Switch is a comprehensive collection of one of the better co-op shooters in recent years. It hasn't aged well technically, the AI is still pretty dumb, it misses some updates that other versions have, it's inferior in performance, and the Switch still lacks the ability to communicate with strangers, and unfortunately, that takes away a lot of the fun. It's still a fun shooter to play with friends, and even without them, it can hold up reasonably well since the Switch lacks appealing alternatives. If you can look past the steep entry fee and have no other platform to play it on, this will probably do. Otherwise, you're better off picking up one of the other versions, since offline play and portability are not much of a benefit for Payday 2 on the Switch.

An old style remake that is beginning to be "too old for this shit" in terms of gameplay and visuals.

For those who have a dedicated group to play with online there are hours worth of fun to be had overcoming the more difficult challenges. However, If you’ll need to rely on random players the fun can only go so far without any form of communication. And if playing solo is your only option, I’d highly suggest thinking twice because quite frankly playing alone is not very much fun at all.

Quotation forthcoming.

Payday 2 has become old. Despite its news features like local multiplayer or a new character, the Nintendo Switch version is not ideal - and its more expensive than others.

Should you get Payday 2 on Switch? Well if you want an interesting multiplayer shooter and don’t have access to it on other platforms, sure. Otherwise? Probably not. Maybe wait to see how things are after an update or two.

There are some nice ideas here, but especially in handheld mode, Payday 2 can be very frustrating.

PAYDAY 2 for the Nintendo Switch features plenty of content and varied missions but it cannot be seen as a fine conversion work when its AI is pitiful, the graphics are very much outdated and the one player experience is terribly dull. While it may be fun on multiplayer, PAYDAY 2 needs a lot more to stand out if it intends to prove itself.

On the Nintendo Switch, Overkill could have offered the definitive PayDay 2. Some strange design choices and the lack of certain features (no online voice chat) prevent the game from reaching its true potential. And that's too bad as PayDay 2 really could have been a fun game on the Switch. Only people who will get to try the game's local co-op will get a glimpse of what could have been.

Payday 2 can be a fun little time-sink, if you’ve got some friends to join you on your bank-robbing escapades. However, due to a lack of voice-chat, some soul-crushingly lackluster AI, and regular performance issues, the game's fun is often the real prisoner that gets held hostage.

Payday 2 reveals its worst in the Nintendo Switch. Even though it is not a bad port, the Overkill game and the Nintendo Switch does not seem to get along. Good gameplay, but this is the worst version of the game nowadays.

Ultimately it doesn't matter which way you decide to play; you're having to compromise somehow, which is the story of Payday 2 on the Switch.

PayDay 2 is a solid port that runs surprisingly well on the Switch. Sadly, that doesn't mean the game is actually enjoyable as numerous problems with gameplay, controls and AI result in a lacklustre experience.

It is the most content-complete version of Payday 2. On the other hand, it’s still a five-year-old game that really hasn’t aged that well and doesn’t seem to have all the updates that other versions have received.