Payday 2, The Division, how do they play?

I'm finding myself getting confused about new games more than before. The mix of single player and co-op here, and the focus on multiplayer there, is making me doubt whether a game has any single player, or whether what..

Anyway to keep it short and sweet, I read a bit about these two games and watched a couple of trailers, and I'm not sure what gameplay experience each one has.

• Do they have single player levels/worlds, in a classic story-driven sense, which can also be played in co-op (more than one player) like Borderlands?
• Or are they designed around co-op/multiplayer, which means the singleplayer is a shitty Brink-like pack of multiplayer maps with bots?
• Or do they have two or three sets of "modes," one designed for a single player, one for co-op and one for competitive multiplayer, like Call of Duty?

If I buy Payday 2 off Steam right now, what are my options for modes?

Anyone else get confused and irritated by these three modes getting mixed and their lines blurred in new games? Especially when there's a token singleplayer mode that turns out to be "not the best way to play the game"? I still remember the day I bought Battlefield 2 in 2006, only to fire it up and find that it does not have a cinematic single player experience like Call of Duty 2, but only online shooting. It pissed me off, but soon thereafter Battlefield became my favorite online FPS.

I'm just saying that shit needs to be clearer so a guy knows what the hell he's buying.

Payday 2 is a Co-Op focus experience. It's meant to be enjoyed by playing with other people. You can play the missions solo, but it won't be as fun. Stealth is optional in the game, but without the proper upgrades it will be impossible. You basically grind through missions unlocking new abilities, weapons, items and equipment.

The game is basically fighting off waves of cops, just long enough until your objective is complete. If you used stealth then you can avoid a full on gun battle. So if your looking for a fun Co-op experience checkout Payday 2, if not then look somewhere else. Playing Solo can still be fun, but sense the A.I partners are brain dead it won't be as enjoyable.

The Division is a multiplayer game, you can play it as a lone player:

An online, open-world RPG experience where exploration and player-progression are essential. Use your skills, weapons and wits in combat. Play in a persistent and dynamic environment. Team up with friends in co-op, jump in and jump out at any time and use your combined skills to fight the crisis, investigate the sources of the virus and engage all threats. Seamlessly engage in PVP, player-to-player trading, and experience suspenseful scenarios where danger can come from anywhere and anyone.

Payday 2 is a multiplayer game; you can play it as a lone player:

This is a scenario-based/mission game, not an open world. One problem I've experienced though is that your bots aren't even close to replacing live players; and they won't complete objectives like a real player would do. You can try to do big missions solo but it will be difficult for you. So I'd say you actually need to partner up with someone to have a good experience.

@funkydupe: Right.. So those are two games to add to my list of "I'm the only PC gamer in a 50 mile radius where I live and I dislike making online game buddies for co-op."

I'll keep playing multiplayer shooters solo then, that's the closest I'll get to having a social gaming experience. Shit.

Unless you're saying that The Division can actually be played solo (when I say solo I mean jumping in alone, like in Battlefield, and playing with your teammates that you find on the server)? In other words, do you think it will be essential for groups/parties to be communicating friends in order to play, or will it be just as easy for strangers to be in teams and squads?

My impression based on what information is out there on The Division it is fully viable to play as a lone wolf player, tailoring your character's load-out and skills for what you want to do; with the pros and cons that'll bring you. The city is populated by NPCs as well as Live Players and they want there to be instanced zones (areas set up for you character or group specifically once you enter them) you can enter as well as have "Dynamic" events happening around you in the open persistent city space that you can choose to follow up on or not. There are some enemies and dynamic missions more difficult than others and I can imagine that with such a dynamic system there'll be situations a lone player, or even certain groups of players have to back out of because it is too difficult to complete. But I don't see why you shouldn't be able to do stuff alone, or indirectly with other players without actually formally forming a team with those players for the duration.

Both games do allow for, and probably encourage Public grouping, as in you team up with random strangers to get stuff done, but we all know those experiences can vary from very fun to highly annoying. There isn't much else to say right now on The Division as they haven't gone into specifics.