Lets Go Robbin'
This game makes you want to become a bank robber; not a quote that the Daily Mail may appreciate, but a truism for Payday: The Heist. Payday is a four-player online shooter, in the mould of Left 4 Dead, with police and SWAT replacing the zombies, and special SWAT replacing special zombies. The basic premise is that the players, instead of fighting their way to a safe room, pull off a number of varied heists, each with it's own personalities, but all with the same basic purpose. You want money, these guys are in your way, kill them, get the money, get out.
The missions range from robbing a large bank, to stealing a whole panic room full of cash via helicopter, to busting out a prisoner from custody. The whole game is basically a cross between HEAT, Left 4 Dead, and, when the heist is going badly, Dog Day Afternoon. The shooting is very well handled, and feels fun, and there are several meaty guns to use, including a SMG and a .44 Magnum. But to use these weapons you first have to unlock them, this game has a RPG like progression, with cash instead of experience points, the better a heist goes, the more cash you have. Every time your reputation increases you get a new piece of equipment, a new weapon, or an upgrade to a weapon or piece of equipment. This is a very good system, and really gives more reason to play the game, other than the very fun heists, and is something that L4D could use.
The enemy AI in the game is very good, flanking and attacking where you're weakest. The ally AI isn't so good however, with the AI pretty much just following you around. This brings me to another point, this game really is meant for 4 players, and with any less, it's not as fun. The special SWAT require the use of teamwork, especially the ones with riot shields, where you need to attack them from behind. This requires either one or two of the players to sneak behind them, while the others act as a distraction. The level design requires that you need to split up to complete objectives, and to defeat the onslaught. When done well, there's a real sense of satisfaction.
If a player is downed, the other players have 30 seconds to rescue them. If the timer runs down before the players has been helped up, then they are taken into custody. The player can take the NPCs and the enemies hostage, and these hostages can then be exchanged to get a player out of custody. There's a wide range of enemies, from security guards to an enemy known as a Bulldozer, who is dressed in a bomb suit, and can take a huge amount of fire before going down. There are also SWAT armed with tasers, and SWAT with shields. Not to mention the bastards dressed like Sam Fisher, who can take you down in one hit with their electric batons. The weaponry the enemies carries includes shotguns, assault rifles, and pistols. The characters are very well animated, as are the enemies, each making smooth, natural movements.
The criticisms I have of the game are that the AI is poor for allies and civilians, with civilians often running around when you tell them to get down, and getting in the line of fire, and when killing a civilian decreases the amount of cash you get from a heist, and also increases the time before a hostage can be traded for a player in custody, this is infuriating. The script isn't especially well written either, with a robber saying towards the end of a heist “This is the point of no return” while blowing a hole in the wall with C4. I think that the point of no return may have been before each player killed somewhere in the region of 50 policemen. The game does also sometimes seem unpolished.
Another point, which could be taken as a pro or con, is that the AI Director is a complete bastard. Whereas L4D's director is fairly benevolent, only throwing a large amount of zombies at you when you're doing very well, Payday's throws a large amount of enemies at you even when you're struggling, albeit, not as many as it does if you're doing well, but still a lot more than L4D would throw at you.
All in all though, the game is very good. It's accessible, the heists are very well scripted and varied, with one which can be completed without firing a shot, the sound design is nice, and the gameplay is very satisfying. The poor points of the game are made up by the fact that the game costs 20 euros, and was 10 in a recent sale. It's very much one of the best online team shooters I've ever played, and in my mind is better than L4D.
Also, thanks to the chaps from the Penny Arcade forums, who I played with, sorry for dying all over the place.
4.5/5
Satisfying, hugely fun, and very varied.
