Payday 2: Crimewave Edition Reviews
The co-op heists of Payday 2 hijack new-gen, bringing with them a gym bag full of updates and DLC, but also some familiar problems. Great for newcomers, but non-essential for seasoned criminals.
A less than impressive remaster, that still isn't up to par with the PC version, but there's a lot of content here and the bank-robbing co-op remains a fun novelty.
It's fun to play the role of the bank robber and assemble a crew of thieves. It's not the greatest game nor the worst, so if you've never experienced any of it, it might be one to try. If you have, then you aren't missing much here, except for maybe a few new cool masks.
Payday 2: Crimewave Edition has been given a spit shine and a sprinkling of new features, but unfortunately the nuance ends there. If you already own the original on PS3 or Xbox 360 there's not an abundance to write home about. If you don't, Crimewave Edition is still worth your time, but it's far from the perfect score.
For all of its promise, Payday 2: Crimewave Edition suffers from the effects of a few too many negatives. When it works well, the co-op style of the action is brilliant, coupled with an exceptional score. Unfortunately, the action-packed heists are often dulled by the poor graphics and downright stupid AI. The higher difficulty levels will require a fair amount of dedication to unlock the equipment needed to complete them, and it's doubtful whether the rewards will merit sticking it out long enough to gain all of the achievements. It seems that Payday 2: Crimewave Edition is another sad case of what could have been, if only the graphics and some other aspects had been treated to an extra coat of polish.
Look past the unimpressive graphics, shoddy team AI and connection issues, and Payday 2 is as exciting a co-op shooter as it was last year. In fact, bar a 1080p resolution and a smoother frame-rate, it's the same co-op shooter that it was last year, though there's enough additional content and bundled former DLC to make it a tempting package. There are too many irritations and frustrations to make it a must-have game, but if you like the sound of Payday's heist-related high-jinx, then the Crimewave Edition is the way to go.
Payday 2: Crimewave Edition isn't broken to the point of being unplayable, but it has just enough issues to make it annoying. While the dynamic, exciting gameplay that Payday fans have come to expect is certainly here, this port would have wound up better with a bit more polish and testing.
The Crimewave Edition does too little to Payday 2 to make it a really worthwhile update.
I wish I had better things to say about 'Payday 2: Crimewave Edition'. On the surface it looks a lot like a less shiny 'Grand Theft Auto' with a heavy emphasis on co-op, but in the right circumstances it can be a fun experience. It has many of the common hallmarks of online games, right down to the leveling system, but there is just something about pulling off a slick bank job that is deeply satisfying. Still, until its broken multiplayer has been repaired, it's best to steer clear of this one.
Payday 2: Crimewave Edition is an embarrassing, broken release that should be avoided by consumers and is a black eye on the current state of video game publishing.