Payday 3 feels like they had to downgrade Hitman: World of Assassination to make it multiplayer. Give a chance to the weird comparison, steeping aside the obvious that one is a FPS and the other is in 3rd person and youll observe that everything from level design, dead enemy AI to objectives had to be sacrificed in order to accommodate multiple players. The biggest differentiator is that it turns into a mediocre horde shooter when stealth is no longer an option. Leveling up is a bloated, tedious grind rivaling most free 2 play games. The always online requirement and server problems are baffling at launch.

The game emits a shines when playing with friends. Needing multiple people to observe surroundings or open some sort of lock can be rewarding. Shooting is an upgrade from its previous title, though its not great yet. Some of the upgrades feel tangential, giving a good feel of progression.

The few maps offered would fall into repetition if not for the smartly implemented randomization of items, cameras and npcs. Higher difficulties also add NPCs and other variables so your approach will not be the same every time.

Payday 3 is a "just fine" title whose saving grace is that other, better games do not offer a multiplayer coop variant. Good for gamepass and a deep sale only if you have a crew of friends.

A nice gameplay mix of Super Mario RPG and Chrono Trigger with amazing pixel art and soundtrack. The combat can be fun but it wears out its welcome well before the final act because of the few choices it provided. The combat has a lock system that makes you land specific powerful attacks on enemies so you can interrupt them is a good addition but does not solve the fatigue.

Just like the developer's previous title, The Messenger, for some reason the game has to change gears and force a twist in the late game. Its not as drastic as changing a game genre, but the final act felt unnecessary and a lot less inspired that what came before. The second act's conclusion should have been the game's finale with some tweaking here and there. The finale is not awful, it just pales in comparison to what came before.

This is an RPG that should not be beaten in a few sittings. If you take it slow and take in the vistas, the fun but repetitive combat, the nice story and charming characters you will be delighted by how much this developer nailed the classic JRPG formula.