Payday 2

[NeoStarr]

 

 

Release Date: Aug. 14th (Beta in July if you purchase Career Criminal Edition)

Platform: PC, PS4, X-Box

Pricing: $29.99 Standard Edition

$49.99 Career Criminal Edition (PC only)

$89.99 Standard Edition 4-Pack (PC only)

$149.99 Career Criminal Edition 4-Pack (PC Only)

(Payday 2 is a retail release, unlike it's predecessor. Payday: The Heist is currently available free to PS+ subscribers)

 

$59.99 Gamestop Collectors Edition (20K copies on PS3 / 30K copies on XBOX 360) includes physical content:

- Dallas' mask

- Blue surgical gloves

- A wallet with a $100 bill printed across it

- Soundtrack

- Criminal Edition and Lootbag DLC perks

- Picture in spoiler:

 

 

 

Concept:

There's really no beating around the bush with this series; Payday is Left 4 Dead with cops in place of zombies. And the developer has no shame in that; even going so far as to tie the stories of the two games together by adding a Mercy Hospital level. Just like Left 4 Dead, you and four friends get a bunch of guns, choose a level, and fight off waves of enemies while trying to complete objectives. Only now the enemies have guns. The level design in Payday is very creative; every mission is a different heist and your goal is to escape with as much loot as possible; but aside from the obvious bank/bank truck robbers, you'll also find yourself stealing a safe full of cash from a meth lab, freeing a prisoner from a prison transport, and of course stealing the virus that starts the outbreak in L4D.

 

Changes in Payday 2 (in development)

Payday 2 is more ambitious than the first game, with more than 5 times as many missions to complete and new RPG elements designed to distinguish it from Left 4 Dead. The leveling system returns to unlock better upgrades for your equipment, but guns and equipment are now purchased between missions with cash. You also now have to fence your stolen goods to different shady characters in order to acquire cash, and appeasing them may unlock new objectives or missions. Levels are supposed to be much more difficult, with fewer win conditions but much more potential to strike it rich through secondary objectives if you think you can survive long enough to complete them. The random events that made the first game so unpredictable are supposed to make a comeback (in Payday 1, some levels had a very small percentage chance that something unpredictable would happen that would completely change the second half of the level). The game is no longer a pure shooter; every mission will now have a stealth option and proper stealth mechanics and equipment has actually been implemented (no more of the coin-toss stealth objectives from the first game). There is even a Ghost class focused around stealth this time around. The only returning class is the Tactitian from the Payday 1 DLC. The assault class has been renamed 'enforcer', the support class is now the Mastermind who also has some new negotiation tactics when dealing with hostages and such. The sharpshooter class has been dropped entirely. Much like Payday, you'll be able to level multiple classes but you'll only ever be able to max out one of them. There will be 5 DLC packs for Payday 2 that are due to come out within a year of its release.

But the best new feature in Payday 2 has got to be that you can finally design your own mask.

 

Resources:

Developer website: http://www.overkillsoftware.com/

Crime.net website (it's a placeholder right now, can't tell if it's the official site or an ARG): http://www.crimenet.info/

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payday_2

Payday 2's page on the Payday Wiki: http://payday.wikia.com/wiki/PAYDAY_2

Pre-Beta Skill Calculator: http://freepiecoupon.com/payday/v3

 

Media:

 

First episode of live-action webseries:

Episode 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbFrvg8J9rY

 

E3 demo:

 

Early gameplay footage:

 

Pre-Beta Footage (sound files in pre-beta are mostly placeholders):

Idle Screen (shows off heist locations)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwTA-YnE7d8:

Bank Heist (shows off random rewards):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSswthibvbw

Framing Frames (shows off stealth):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKq_PALq0bs

Watchdogs (shows off multi-level heists):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO-qQ5RECb4

 

 

 

[NeoStarr]

My panties are so wet for this game. Only problem I have is that the criminal edition seems a bit expensive for what you get (which is reduced equipment costs, 2 beta keys, and some extra mission objectives). Either way I would definitely recommend pre-ordering if you plan on buying the game as that gives you a bit of a cash boost and if it's anything like the original Payday you'll probably need it, as the game is so insanely difficult at the early stages.

 

My friends and I are grabbing two four packs between us, but we might have an extra spot (depending on if my buddies girlfriend wants to play), so I might be able to score a copy for somebody on the cheap. Not sure if it'll be standard or criminal edition that's up for grabs; but we're getting a pack of each so I should be able to include the beta in the deal.

[Mal]

Is there a super hidden, super hard mission? Seriously, that mission impressed the hell out of me even though I never touched the game.

[NeoStarr]

I doubt they'll announce that before release but I would bet money that there is. Overkill seems to really like their secrets and ARGs. While most people already know about that ridiculous hidden bank vault; they've confirmed that there are at least two other major secrets in Payday that haven't been discovered yet.

 

If anyone is interested, one of them has been confirmed to be in the map Undercover. The other one is presumed to be on Counterfeit and is likely something to do with the Pacifist achievement since the only known method for getting that achievement is a bit obnoxious.

[NeoStarr]

Beta just went up for anyone who pre ordered Career Criminal edition.