PAYDAY 3

Payday 3 was always going to struggle to steal the show with its predecessor boasting a decade of support but this was a particularly fantastic blunder. Recent updates show a hint of promise but the fundamental issue of the games reliance on servers buggered up its launch and spells certain doom for its future. Why am I searching for servers for my private lobby? Why does my game need to process painting a mask or buying a gun? Why am I being ushered through the pre-game setup, as if I have to get on with it and make room for the next group of heisters? Why am I lagging in my own sodding server? Leave me alone. It's not a terrible foundation, really. But it will need time and effort to reach the level of content and depth of its systems Payday 2 has, the only question is: how many of us are willing to risk investing in this game until that point? After feeling robbed myself here, I don't think I am.

game has come along quite well since its poor launch. It has quite a bit less content compared to Payday 2, but that game has been out for a decade. Current (as of June 27, 2025) Payday 3 runs very smoothly on a 5 year old PC, even on Maximum settings, the servers run just fine, and even my buddy who has satelite internet can play with me. It is worth it as it stands, and will only get better. Keep up the wonderful work, and lets see Payday 3 become as successful as payday 2 in the years to come

I can finally recommend this game. It still isn't up to the level of Payday 2 but the potential is here and it's turned out to be a fun game. I'm just gonna talk about the stuff I like that is an improvement since Payday 2. Zip ties are no longer finite. You're carrying around a bottomless Costco bag of zip ties. This is something that annoyed me in Payday 2. Small Safes now have a unique lockpicking mechanic that is fun. The drill is no longer used for everything, it also doesn't take forever. Now smaller safes can be picked in a very satisfying minigame where you turn the dial until it goes green three times. It's pretty nice. Lockpicking is actually a minigame now too. Gone are the days of just staring at an object and holding the pick button. Now there's a minigame that is actually faster than picking in Payday 2. Even messing up only penalizes you by not opening the lock sooner. Really nice change imo Hostages are much easier to deal with. Ordering them around, using them as a human shields, booping them to the ground for a tie down. It's much easier and fluid than it was in Payday 2. Being able to grab them and throw them to the ground in a specific location beats trying to herd them in Payday 2. New enemy types and improved favorites. New guys are grenade cops, hostage rescue is now a unique enemy, there's cops that hide and control drones to mess with you. The tazer cops are cooler, you can shoot their battery pack to shock a bunch of cops around them. The Dozer seems to have had the largest improvement and dealing with them is difficult and satisfying. You can also shoot antenas off of FBI vans to end waves at times too. Side objectives can be found in many of the heists. Like finding specific loot in the safety deposit boxes or going the extra mile to make and employee use a biometric scanner at the jewelry store to get those last four high value items. Now you can just choose your heist. No more waiting for the one you want to pop up or spending in game currency to buy the contracts. Just pick what you want to play. Gun attachments are no longer an RNG gambling hell. Now you level up weapons by using them. As you level up, more parts become available to buy and install. This is a godsend. Killstreak rewards. So now instead of starting with a grenade launcher or minigun as a primary weapon, they're now killstreak rewards you can call in during a mission. I like this option more because it doesn't tie up your primary slot. The ECM Jammers are now tools and seperate from health/ammo deployments. That means you can have those along with health, ammo, armor, and a sentry. There are also new tools added like motion detectors, EMPs, and a few others. The armor system is pretty cool. Now you choose a base frame that has different pros/cons. Lighter frames have less movement penalties but only hold one armor plate. Bigger frames hold more plates and ammo but has movement penalties. There's a few different plates to choose from too. Each with their own benefits and draw backs. It's really interesting to customize the armor. It also affects how many downs you are allotted as well. All in all, the game is pretty solid and they're about to release a rework of the skills. This game isn't better than Payday 2 or at its level yet. But the improvements I listed are enough QOL improvements for me to really enjoy what it is currently. If you can catch this game on sale, I wouldn't hesitate. One last thing. Payday 3 still supports playing DLC you don't own as long as the host has purchased it. This is a really nice feature I wish more games had. Doesn't lock your buddies out of playing new heists and you're not forced to play them with randos. There still is no offline mode, but they have added a solo mode that is currently in beta. The solo mode is to host your own games so you're not bogging down servers or something. Idk but it's there so I thought I'd mention it.

The game has big future in front of it if the dev's put away their greed and make a shit ton of content for it or atleast a few bigger free updates.

Strict online only + requiring a third party account are a strict No Recommend.

This is not worth 9 dollars. The game is drastically different from the last game in the series and not in a good way. Visuals are nice and updated but that does not make up for the poor game play experience. 1. Whoever the Bain replacement is comments on every single thing you do, whether its bagging 1 of 10 bags of cash you have to move to complete the mission, to reminding you CONSTANTLY that the police will not end their raid. The consistent and perpetual reminders are unnecessary and removes the player from a sense of control in the mission. You are just doing what the voice in your ear commands. 2. Moving past the actual in game experience the Menu and Lobby situation is awful. Selecting a mission and sitting there for 3-5 minutes before the LOBBY is opened is a weird experience. This is likely due to the fact that the game is always online and REQUIRES A THIRD PARTY ACCOUNT. A game about robbing banks and committing crime is asking you to give up your email and info. Wild. Ultimately its just not worth it. This is a major letdown and feels like a game made out of desperation, not a game made to improve upon the series. Remove the always online requirement. Make lobbies the same as the previous game. Change the menus.

I mean hours say alot more then i can with words, but payday 2 and payday 3 are their own games people comparing them should remember this fact, yes they're in the same series, but solely basing your view by comparing 10 years of updates with 2 years of updates will always make the 10 year old game seem better, which isn't always actually the case.

This game had a really rough start, cant understate that. The direction might also be questionable and the future might be vague, however the game right now is what I would consider well done. It is lacking a bit of content, compared to its predecessor, but it already has some rather addicting gameplay loop that feels rewarding enough. Should they improve? YES. But I would, right now, consider this game to be at a good enough state to recommend it. Keep in mind, that some of the better heists are DLC locked, so be ready to potentially pay more than what the initial cost suggests.

this game is so fucking bad that its good, i sat down for many hours laughing to death with others. there is no need for any explanation, just buy it on the summer sale discount while its 10 dollars, and youll be happy. before i tried this game, i used to see people who enjoyed pain as sick, but now i truly relate to it, the levels of incompetence, the lack of content, it hurts my soul to think that this is a sequel of the payday franchise. but this game is so fucking shit that i crave more. Note: DO NOT ASK HOXTON FOR HELP WHEN CUFFED WHILST DOING SILENT buy it

Great gameplay, and a complete shift from the old gameplay of payday 2 with a more of a serious approach to a genuine bank robbery, which in all honesty is great rather than being another company that makes another game in their franchise thats the exact same slop as the previous game. Although it still needs more missions/things to spend money on though like the old offshore account system, I think its currently in a good place and would recommend this game to anyone with a few bucks to spare.

I hate the damn Bain replacement. She's so goddamn annoying and the fucking UI sucks ass. The graphics also look elongated. It's also unfamiliar to Payday 2.

Halfway through 2025 and the core missions the game launched with still have game-breaking softlocking bugs. That tells you everything you need to know about the state of the game.

did the 3rd party account log in. it would not allow me to access the dlc i paid for. i had the same problem on console, i have paid for this game twice and have been ripped off twice. this developer is a crook.

Payday for smartphoner's, even payday 1 feels a better game. 1 day heist's only and without any level of depth, gets boring very fast. Couple old maps save's a little bit, but still long way to go. Maybe its better focus to payday 4 or remastering payday 2

i thought i would try this game again after dropping it at launch olny to be met with the same omegaboring and soul less gun play then after one heist that i joined halfway through the game soft lock on a loading screen making me alt-f4 still a 0/10 dont even try just play payday 2

When this game first came out there was some struggles here and there. I was very upset that it was only online and this is shared with others. After a year and multiple changes this game has become fantastic to revisit. I 100% Payday 2 and I plan to do the same with this game. Its definitely different than payday 2 in a lot of ways. Recoil, skills, damage, move speed, movement, and a couple of other things. My favorite is the skills. In Payday 2 you had to gain xp then you can use it to buy those perk cards and skills. This one they are all roped in together. You research the sets and you only need to research the first one. Afterwards, every game you play you get a number of xp that goes TO EACH CARD IN THAT SET! I used to spend hours grinding just to max out the perk deck and skills. Here you research a set, play, and eventually unlock them. Going back to skills you can mix which ones you want. I think you are little limited on what you can use together. However, the build potential is still there and probably better. Stealth was a huge part of Payday 2 for me. In Payday 3 you can run the traits of yakuza for speed then have the abilities of hacker. It is astounding the builds you can make. I hope they continue to update this game and add the old heist. Cook off one of my favorites is a blast and easier. The announced chemicals you have to put in are usually 90% correct unlike Bain. The small stabs to the previous version is hilarious. 100% recommend people grab this game.

When i played the early access the game was.. yeah in a rough state. RTX 2080 Super and.. 50fps. Barely 70. But now.. i have 144fps on ultra all the time without a single stutter. And the game is not as buggy as it was and not as.. shite. Sure the servers could be better and all that but.. i really believe that this game is going to get better and better. Starbreeze really needs to focus on payday 3 and not on any different game. Because this is the game that we all want to succeed.

As someone with several hundred hours in PD2 between console and PC, I would say PD3 is worth it when discounted. While I didnt play at launch, the game seems to be in a better state than it had initially was released in. This review is subject to change as I continue to play the game, however it reflects my mindset with my first 17 or so hours of the game Pros: -while a bit cumbersome, the skills trees have a good amount of depth to them. Granted I have not unlocked all the trees, but the foundation for a variety of builds is set -stealth has massively improved IMO, with a greater variety of ways to complete heists, QOL features while in casing mode, new features such as the QR code system etc -gunplay feels good with a decent range of attachments -overall gameplay loop is satisfying with new special enemies and heist designs -finally added beta single player Cons: -while i personally dont mind the attachment/gun leveling system, I could see how others may not like being locked out of attachments based on weapon level. On the same note of guns, I wish there were more guns and more unique guns/weapons. Admittedly this can be solved with future content releases and updates, but rn the gun choice feels a little dry -number of heists: Similar to the gun argument, this can be solved with future content releases and updates, but right now there is a relatively limited number of heists even with the DLC and update heists -beta single player is present, but still requires online connection at the time of writing this

Even if this game wasn't a trove of broken promises and content drought, it would still be the most aggressively mediocre game I've played in a long, long time. This game just flat out isn't good. At all. Editing this review just to say that the one remarkable thing about this game is how genuinely unbelievably atrocious the UI is.

THEY FIXED MY ACHIEVEMENTS , I DONT HAVE TO MAKE ANOTHER ACCOUNT ,GREAT WOOHOO. But in all Honesty This game had a Rough Start , i had and still have high hopes for it.It will have to wait for more stuff to be Added and Systems to be changed for it to "Compare" to its Predecessor. Get it on Sale with friends, the devs are Really trying and every bit of Feedback helps them

Bought this on sale because I was wary about it. Probably the biggest waste of an hour. Doesn't capture the Payday feel that the previous two games had. Also Always online and requires a 3rd party account to even play. Clearly a rushed cashgrab from an incredibly predatory company. Play Payday 2, don't waste your money on this pile of crap.

I never played Payday 2, but I've enjoyed Payday 3 so far. However, I bought it on sale and I suggest you do it too. I like the gunplay and weapons in the game. They are really satisfying to use and have a nice feel to them. Many favorites too choose from. The graphics are decent and the effects plays to the sense of chaos when going loud on heists (guns blazing). Going stealth can be very exilirating as well. Also, a decent variety of enemy types and a badass soundtrack makes it easy to recommend this game. However, there are some caveats to be aware off. Mainly, the lack of content (although it is getting better) and a poorly designed skilltree (they recently fixed the armour system). In summary, the game is fun but feels in the end a bit unfinished. Hopefully the developers will continue supporting the game with more content and improvements. As I understand it the game is a lot better now than 12 months ago.

outdated gameplay mechanic, confusing (barely any tutorial), and plain boring, was looking for a decent heist game with amazing gun customization and ended up dissapointed by picking up this game, crimeboss are much better in every way.

payday 3 is not on abysmal experience and there is good fun to be had especially with friends but in its current state it's the kind of game you pick up on a sale play all the heists maybe replay some for a good few hours and then probably don't touch it again for a while there's not necessarily something wrong with that but it does mean that 3 is living in the shadow of its cooler older brother

The game on release was bad, but now? its good servers working, content (not alot. but something) i bought it on sale, recomend you do the same

Almost 2 years after launch, and I'm genuinely struggling to find any reason to recommend Payday 3 over Payday 2. Could be fun if you have a friend or two to play with, but that's the same with most games. At time of review its $9 and as the game is, I would still feel i didn't get my moneys worth. Other then the way the guns feel, the better gun play and the mask off activities, everything feels a step backwards. Still has server issues. Customization is still garbage. Yes, you now have more suit and glove options, but practically no guns compared to even the base Payday 2. Finally grind money for a new gun? Hope you weren't expecting to be able to put anything on it. Nope, its COD style weapon leveling for attachments. Now you've got hardly any incentive to try a new weapon without more grind. Game has alot more maps then when i put it down a week after launch, but server issues make it a hassle to even get a solo match going. After waiting for the game to boot, then load shaders, then finally log into a server for the main menu, I checked a loadout, and picked a, new to me, early mission to try out. Spent a several minutes loading for what was apparently an offline solo mission. Ended up just ALT+F4 the game. Loading times are still a joke. 4/10, game would be a solid 6/10 if not for the long load times and servers.

Game at launch got shafted by some bad decisions, however the dedication of the developers are helping the game claw its way back out of the pit it was kicked into.

So, after a few hours of playing i can say the transition to the new game engine has changed a lot, the mechanics and graphics have changed, the game has become more enjoyable, but it would be better if they transferred all the heists from the second and first parts, as well as all the weapons and DLC

I change my mind, this game is good at some points but it's overall ass. Even with low graphics the game finds a way to crash, payday 2 doesnt do that because its more organized than this slop. 3/10

The game is really great, even though I only played it for 10 hours. I can confidently answer that this is a really good project. But are you guys serious or are you kidding? the game costs $23 and there is less content in it than in PAYDAY2 for $6.99, is this a joke? Do we users pay 6.99 for gameplay and weapon levels, and the rest for graphics and unreal engine??? without a doubt, the game is half dead and now they have made an attempt to revive it by giving access to the Russian community so that they can join this game, but there is really little content, no one will play a game for $ 22 where there is no content, all the content is in add-ons that are even more expensive than just the game. Yes, it was like that in PAYDAY2, but there was a lot of free content, there was a lot to have fun, even in PAYDAY the heist there was also a lot of content, and I would say even more free content than in PAYDAY3, but everyone already knows that PAYDAY2 is a DEADGame. and PAYDAY the heist is a completely forgotten game. Well, can you please do PAYDAY3 already so that it's not a failure, now the situation in PAYDAY3 is pure walking on a knife's edge, where it's already worth following the wishes of players who are really fans of this game and as a rule this is 70% of online PAYDAY3, increase the servers because it really takes a long time to load online, which is why it already starts to seem that beta testing is not taking place in solo mode. in short, in 2 years, nothing sensible has been done except for the solo mode and a bunch of mechanics, the game is still raw and there is practically nothing to do in the game for $ 22 if it were possible to put an estimate in numbers. I would have bet 4/10. but it's really a worthwhile project. but no one is working on it.

Payday 3 launched rougher than a smash-and-grab with a blind getaway driver—buggy, barebones, and shackled to always-online BS. But since then, it’s gotten a few solid updates: more heists, better progression, and some much-needed polish. Gunplay is tight, stealth actually works now, and when the stars align (or your squad isn't brain-dead), it feels like classic Payday chaos. Still, it’s not fully out of the shit yet. Still janky, but finally starting to feel like a real heist and not a scam.

Absolutely terrible, the game has basically no content even after 2 years, UI is terrible, there are pretty much no guns in the game and worst of all the online matchmaking is completely broken, couldn't even get into a lobby with my friend kept getting matchmaking errors, gonna refund the game. Payday 2 is far better than this game in everything but the stealth mode, if you like loud like most people do, stick to Payday 2.

despite what apparently everyone says, it's actually pretty good i would say if you're looking to buy, buy it when it's on sale hate to say it but this game is not worth the full $30 at the moment

i enjoy bad games but this takes 'bad game' to a new level. do people actually enjoy this? it fucking blows and feels more like im playing some generic triple a goyslop tacticool that has nothing to do with any of the other games

hard lag spikes and long loading times when the game has an issue where you are stuck in a loading screen for 5 minutes.

I pre-ordered this game, and since then I let this game cook for a while. Let's face it, this game has a lot of kinks it desperately needs ironed out. - As everyone keeps repeating, the Bain replacement comments on every action you do. If you're like me, and you spend more time during the Final Assault than any other assault wave, you know she get's annoying really fast. The frequency she says things needs to be turned up. I don't want to hear her every 10 seconds, I would be fine with hearing her every 2 minutes or so. I want an occasional reminder, if it's really necessary, but not a constant one. I feel like on Cook Off, I hear her say "The cops aren't gonna stop until you're locked away or dead" more than I hear her say what ingredient I need to add. - Weapons. I want the classic Payday 2 experience of where there's a LOT of guns, a lot of ways to customize them, and some of them are definitely stronger than others. I remember when I was strong enough to reload in front of an Overkill-level Dozer with no fear and be able to mow them down relatively easily. Now? I can't even look at them without them deleting my health. Even with the best gun I currently have, I just don't feel as powerful as I could be, and the guns I see feel lacking. - Cloakers. Maybe this is a skill issue, but it feels like I get downed by a Cloaker every 20 seconds. Why don't they target bots in solo mode btw? They literally only ever target me. They didn't do that in Payday 2 singleplayer, the police brutality was indiscriminate. (Edit: Not a skill issue, why the fuck did the game throw 4 cloakers at me in a span of 15 seconds what the hell is that bullshit) - AI needs a little extra care in some places. I got put into a situation where a Cloaker downed me in the vault of the nightclub map, and none of the bots came to help me. They all stood outside the room like the cops paid them to look the other way momentarily. When I was finally downed, and handcuffed (never seen that before, I forgot that was even a thing.) Chains teleported to my position, and revived me, but I still killed the Cloaker myself. Chains then proceeded to get stuck in place and he didn't move for the rest of the match. How fun :) I might potentially just be stupid since I played this game for like 10 hours when the game released, and only played again when my beloved schizo chicken Jacket got added (I'm a Jacket main, go figure), but the shouting mechanic feels worse. Correct me if I'm wrong but shouting to intimidate a civilian (or cop if you had the perk) and interacting was all the same button, why is that not the case now? (Minor update: Yes I'm stupid, but for reasons I did not mention here) I do like the various interacting animations, I have noticed there are a few interactions that don't have animations, which sucks. But there's so few I can't even name many besides the keycard pickup right of the top of my head.

I used to play pd2 a lot and I get it. The skill tree and everything is better, the amount of heists is abundant, the overall gun customization and stat is really cool. But deep down I believe pd3 is fun to play, everything feel smoother, with time I think they can get it back the old pd2 fun to pd3. But like I said, they needed time to listen to the reviews of fellow heisters and work on the game. Just hoping they can fix the game in the 2nd year of pd3. For now? the game is worth it if you can get it on sale. For full price? I would wait a bit longer for more content. P/s: My 3070 just shut off itself while playing the game on all low

I will make a list of everything this game needs before I can recommend it fully, Its fun for a few hours but thats all you get out of it. Double The Amount of Weapons currently in the game Rework the attachment system to show proper numbers instead of bars Quadruple the amount of attachments in game. More Enemy types at least two or three more At least 5 more unique Heist's with built in randomization. ADD a Favor/Plan system Like payday 2 with in depth heist customization Infinite Infamy system that gives rewards/Cosmetics and buffs to your character Bring back at least 4-5 more missing Members of the payday gang. Lots more build variety more skills, Sniper builds etc. Overkill weapon system is cool but feels uninspired let us have our giga chad characters running around with .50 cals if we want More I cant name at this moment.

I can't even play the game all my hours are just me waiting to get into a game for the very first time.

After a year and a half after the release the game is still in such an unfinished state that i wouldn't even think its not in the beta. The only content so far is the easy cash grab dlc's with characters (one of which is a base heister in pd2) and two new (paid) missions. There are a couple of new cool ideas, but they are implemented in the worst way possible + a lot of base game mechanics from pd2 were just cut. At the same time perfectly working simplest mechanics were remade for some reason into the most awkward mess i've ever seen. Playing these same few missions without an ounce of replayability or meaningfull progression or even a good amount of meaningful visual customization is very boring if not exhausting. A couple of QoL changes (or community mods) that should have been here from the release would have made this piece of crap atleast somehow playeable but alas. Seriously just play the PayDay 2 again or even PayDay the heist. Do not spend your money on this piece of regurgitated fast cash grab vomit and if you do - be sure to not play more than 2 hours so you still can return it because i cannot see this game getting the No Man's Sky treatment.

Yes it had a rough launch but its getting better and better, big shoutout to the devs i've still faith and hope in this game.

I can definitely understand the massive backlash from the community, but I also really like this game. Maybe just because I wasn't expecting Payday 2 2 ? The stealth system feels very good (tho some missions are impossible in Stealth on higher difficulties and that's stupid.) and I really like the changes made to most enemies (only exception being the bulldozer having a very annoying stun). Furthermore, I really like what they did with the Overskill weapons ! Great burst damage that needs work to be "loaded" and that allows for a small time of pure fun. Now for the bad part: I do not like the new weapons system, nor do I like the new skills system. The weapons are unbearably grindy and the skills are all over the place; with none really being fully build defining. Unlike Payday 2, you can't really make a niche stupid but fun build like melee or dodge; although the new temporary bonuses do compliment your equipment pretty well. You get actively penalized by the skill tree for using a type of armor, even tho it's the only one similar to previous games. Another pretty big criticism is the inconsistency of the performances. Massive lag spikes, frame drops and random blurry textures are a big issue in this game and I really hope they get fixed. Overall, I'd say this game is a lot better than when it released; and I'm glad it decided to stray away from Payday 2. The game needed to stand on its own without just being the same as the previous one and I'd say it did this pretty well ! If you are looking for a better Payday 2, this is NOT the game for you. If you are looking for a completely different Payday experience ? I highly recommend giving this a try when it goes on sale. (PS: The characters are pretty cool too, I especially like the new Jacket !)

This game is amazing i don't understand the people who says its bad don't trust them. BAD THINGS 40 dollars but you can wait till the summer sales, no story. GOOD THINGS the visuals are great, love the creative way we rob the first world bank,cool guns,masks,skins. That's it for me this game would be always a legend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Played it for 3 hours now and the game seems really fun. Dont trust the youtubers saying its bad i recommend it especially on sale and its only gonna be getting better

I very enjoyed PAYDAY 3, the new stealth mechanics are really fun. It's shame there are so few heists, after 10h - 15h of gameplay you basically seen everything.Every new heist is behind a paywall so that's also not that great but if you get it on discount i guess its worth, you could buy every heist from year 1 for like 10 euro. I would appreciate some more heists soon. I recommend to buy on sale.

couldnt even play the game when i bought it.....says servers are offline. that is disappointing considering i really wanted to play this game! FIX IT

Played it at launch on Xbox, was chaos. Didnt like the game at first. the armor system wasn't for my taste after playing a lot of payday 2, skills are very boring, the buff system it's annoying, and gave up. Recently bought the game on summer sale, I must say it feels nice, the armor 2.0 it's great, and hopefully skills 2.0 will come in the future.. who knows. Until then it seems like the game it's slowly getting better, hopefully the reviews will get better as well. It deserves better somehow imo. Wish more players would come back to pd3.

I personally think this game has potential despite it's rough start. But I don't know what went through the mind of the developers when they thought it would be a good idea to have players disconnect when they lose connection to a solo match which mind you.. is locally created on your computer.

While I still fully agree with the sentiment that PD2 is better, PD3 has come a long way since launch and it's still absolutely worth a shot (although maybe when it's on sale). I'm hopeful for the future of the game, so as long as they release more content I think they'll be set! For now, I'd suggest sticking to PD2 though.

For a game that has more than a handful of PAID DLC, it has an awful unintuitive GUI and is full of bugs; just play PAYDAY 2.