PAYDAY 3 Reviews

PAYDAY 3 is ranked in the 23rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
7.5 / 10.0
Oct 5, 2023

Payday 3 is a good game right now, with great heists that are fun to play no matter the direction you take, though the overhaul to stealth gameplay steals the spotlight more than anything. How it launched was however unacceptable, and further highlighted the issues prevalent with games that require you to always be online. It also doesn't help itself by not providing a well-thought out experience for an online game. Due to that online nature though give it a year and it'll likely be fixed, and a great game, but its a shame it didn't launch like that.

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55 / 100
Oct 11, 2023

There’s probably an audience for Payday 3, as there was for the previous game. A jank-tolerant group of friends might have fun killing some time and causing mayhem. They’d have to have a pretty low bar for shooter mechanics, graphics, and story, though. Apart from that. there’s really no reason to spend money or time with Payday 3.

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Sep 21, 2023

Overall, Payday 3 is another fantastic entry in a series of well received games. It may fall short in its storytelling and player onboarding, but it excels in providing an interesting plot, satisfying gameplay, well-designed levels, smart enemy A.I., and refined gameplay systems. While it's easy to recommend this for players that have access to a team to play with, the same cannot be said about those that don't; an issue that can hopefully be addressed with the changes and updates outlined in Payday 3's roadmap. Payday 3 is smart, fun, and chaotic in every way and is sure to rope in even more members into the Payday Gang.

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Olly Smith
Top Critic
Sep 21, 2023

Payday 3’s high-octane action and extravagant heists make it another iconic entry into the heist shooter franchise, but it is ultimately held back by a lackluster user interface, matchmaking issues, and online DRM. While these problems can be addressed in later patches — as Starbreeze proved with its post-launch support for Payday 2, the game ends up feeling a little half-baked in its current state.

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Wccftech
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Sep 25, 2023

Payday 3 is a game that looks like it ticks the right boxes to look like a next-gen game and nothing else. The game offers a fun and addicting gameplay loop but it's unfortunately bogged down by a series of bugs and glitches that hamper the experience overall. It also doesn't help that the game's launch state is one of the worst in recent memory in a year that had excellent game releases.

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7.5 / 10.0
Sep 23, 2023

In theory, Payday 3 offers an engaging gameplay loop, and trying to achieve a perfect Stealth heist is both challenging and fun to attempt. However, what Starbreeze's new game does well is mired down in poor gunplay, lackluster optimization, excessive grind and always online requirements.

Review in Italian | Read full review

5 / 10
Sep 22, 2023

Payday 3 has its enjoyable moments, bringing its well-known cooperative heists into a new game engine. However its lack of content, outdated gunplay, underwhelming AI, and unfinished cutscenes leave a lot to be desired. If you're a series fan looking for a substantial step-up in this sequel then this isn't it. However, if you're after a multiplayer title to clown around in for a few hours, this will suffice.

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PCGamesN
Top Critic
8 / 10
Sep 21, 2023

Payday 3 takes its beloved predecessor's multiplayer heist formula and elevates it across the board, making for a thrilling experience, provided you've got a crew to play with.

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7.5 / 10.0
Sep 26, 2023

Payday 3 is the natural evolution of the second chapter and offers a solid and fun experience, although not without edges and questionable choices, think for example of the structure of progression.

Review in Italian | Read full review

GameCrate
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Sep 28, 2023

I can’t recommend this game in its current state, but maybe one day it will be better. Payday 2 has improved a lot over the years. But, even with that being the case, I can’t excuse Payday 3 for releasing this way.

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30 / 100
Sep 26, 2023

Starbreeze promised the apex of the Payday series and delivered a game that looks last-gen that's nearly impossible to play thanks to the terrible matchmaking and the awful servers. This game is a joke and should be called an alpha version.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

85 / 100
Sep 21, 2023

PayDay 3 is the next logical step in the room. Without forgetting their place of origin and what made them known and successful worldwide, Starbreeze Studios proposes a new series of heists with great additions. From an advance in the movement of the perosnajes, with options such as sliding, a great gameplay and gunplay and an increase in customization, the studio surprises us again with a very good shooter.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

65 / 100
Dec 23, 2023

Even though there is fun to be had in this server-snatching raid, there's more errors found here than just syntax. The heist itself may be short and fairly linear, but it's still an enjoyable addition to the main game with the cosmetics and weapons being a bitter-sweet cherry on top. It's always great to add to my crime-closet and upgrade my arsenal, but the extra cost does make it feel like maybe I'm the one getting robbed.

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7 / 10
Sep 25, 2023

Having great customization options, weapons, and an easy-to-do progression system, Payday 3 has the right ingredients to be a great shooter. On the other hand, with no offline mode and a lack of content, it might be hard to get more players to jump into the world for the long run.

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75 / 100
Oct 3, 2023

The joy of pulling off an elaborate heist is alive and well within Payday 3, if you've got the crew to back it up. Holding out against an unstoppable police force or sneaking around undetected to haul out as much cash as you and your friends can carry is a blast, but it's an experience that is severely hampered when queuing up solo. The mission structure and heist objectives are enjoyable, but carry risks of becoming repetitive when things go loud, which they often will when playing with strangers.

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75%
Sep 22, 2023

If you're hoping for a decent single-player experience, you're shit out of luck. Payday 3 is a resolutely co-op affair, but then, you'll need people you can trust to pull of the perfect heist. Either way, this is a first-person shooter that's criminally good fun.

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6 / 10.0
Oct 28, 2023

Payday 3's catastrophic debut has instilled little faith in me. Despite a strong mechanical core and knowledge of Starbreeze's past support, it's apparent the game needed months more to cook and even then it may lose all but a hardcore audience.

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4 / 10
Oct 5, 2023

Payday 3, while having a decent play loop, is a direct downgrade from its predecessor and is loaded with anti-consumer mechanics and major technical issues.

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5.5 / 10.0
Sep 29, 2023

PayDay 3 is a great game, but it is not ‘part 3’. Instead, we got PayDay 2,5 with tons of unnecessary stuff, weird solutions and elements that are lacking. Somewhere, there is a very good game with a cool soundtrack to be found, but that’s not enough.

Review in Polish | Read full review

5 / 10.0
Sep 29, 2023

Starbreeze Studios' Payday 3 improves the series' base gameplay but falls behind on progression, matchmaking, quality of life and more. The lack of social options makes it an even lesser co-op experience.

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