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'Payday 2' puts you inside the bank heist with free VR mode
Popular multiplayer bank heist shooter Payday 2 has been around since 2013, but it's about to get a new life as a virtual reality game. Developer Overkill showed off the new mode at its Starstream event, with players using an HTC Vive VR headset and dual wielding weapons via the motion controllers. It uses a full body system, letting players duck or lean to shoot around walls or other obstacles.
Payday 2's Hotline Miami DLC sounds terrifying
Payday 2 will receive a special piece of Hotline Miami-themed DLC on September 30, Overkill Software announced in a Steam community update. The collaboration between the developer and Hotline Miami creator Dennaton Games will feature at least one heist mission, though Overkill has not spelled out what other gruesome events will take place in the DLC, nor has it mentioned a price for the pack. The developer did offer a rather terrifying live-action trailer to announce the downloadable cross-over, found after the break. The sequel to Dennaton's graphic top-down shooter, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, will launch later this year. [Image: Overkill]
Payday: The Heist gets its pricetag stolen on October 18
Remember, everyone: Crime doesn't pay, but that won't matter on October 18, when Payday: The Heist will be available to download for free. Developer Overkill is growing its community in preparation for the Payday franchise's third anniversary, and has put together a list of rewards for each milestone they hit. Overkill is aiming for 1.5 million community members on its official Steam page by October 18 - as of writing, the total sits at just a bit more than 1.1 million. Due to such impressive numbers, this gaggle of gangsters will receive a multitude of exclusive in-game rewards for Payday 2, including weapons, masks, characters and new heists. If you're just after the free game though, it looks like The Heist will be made available to all. Robbers who know how to share the wealth. Who knew? [Image: Overkill]
PSA: Payday 2 goes free on PlayStation Plus tomorrow
While it would be thematically appropriate to steal a copy of Payday 2, come tomorrow that's no longer necessary as the PS3 multiplayer heist game will be added to the roster of free games on offer to PlayStation Plus members. Payday 2 centers on a group of criminals attempting to swipe cash and other valuables from targets like banks and jewelry stores. Solo play is possible, but the real potential of Payday 2 is found when playing with three other people. The game's AI is relatively predictable, but when you're attempting to loot a mall with a crew of like-minded felonious humans, you never know when one of them is going to shoot a hostage or set off an alarm, sending the heist into chaos. "Payday 2 is a nonstop series of little stories and moments of surprise like this, challenging your ability to absorb and adapt with each succeeding moment," Dave wrote in our review, before awarding the game 4 of 5 stars. As with all Instant Game Collection releases, a PlayStation Plus membership is required to pick up Payday 2 for free. Full details on how to attain that membership can be found on the PlayStation Plus website, or by visiting any iteration of the PlayStation Network Store. [Image: Overkill Software]
Payday 2 'Charlie Santa' Heist DLC drops in time for the holidays
Payday 2 on Steam will receive a free bit of festive DLC on Monday, December 16. The free "Charlie Santa" Heist mission, which sees Payday 2's four crooks busting into a custom bank map, can go one of two ways: you can quickly hunt down the two key cards necessary to break into the vault, bag the cash and get out; or, if things go pear-shaped and you must drill into the vault, you can set up some lift cages on the roof and have your pilot swoop in and skyhook the packaged cash. The "Charlie Santa" Heist DLC also features some festive St. Nick masks for those who are part of the official Steam community group for the game, plus a new scope to unlock, courtesy of Gage the weapons dealer. Finally, there are some new achievements to unlock, including one where you have to neatly package four dead bodies and place them under the bank's Christmas tree. Nobody wants to unwrap that on Christmas morning!
Payday 2 update brings PS3 version closer to PC
Overkill has issued a significant update for the PS3 version of Payday 2, bringing that console's version up to par with the latest version of the game on PC. There are over 200 tweaks that have been made to the PS3 game, including a complete overhaul of the weapons rating system, adjustments to how stealth works and some fixes for a few persistent crash bugs. The game's economy system has also been updated to pay out more cash for looted bags as well as XP from completed missions. The full patch notes are quite extensive, so feel free to pore over them in this Steam post. A patch for the Xbox 360 version is currently in the works.
Payouts restructured in latest Payday 2 update
A new patch has been issued in Payday 2. The highlight of this latest update is a retooled economy system: Now players will receive a smaller amount for completing the basic parameters of a mission, but be greatly rewarded for any loot or additional merchandise they secure during the mission. Overkill hopes this will force players to fight their own greed on every map. Outside of the restructured payouts, you can now choose whether you want XP, cash or some mixture of both when taking on a job through Crime.net, the game's mission delivery system. Another heist has also been added, as have more masks. Enemy and teammate behavior has been improved and various weapons have been tweaked. For the full patch notes, check out Overkill's outline through the source link below. Happy heisting!
Payday 2 sells 1.58 million copies, 80 percent through digital
Payday 2, the sequel to Overkill's 2011 game Payday: The Heist, has sold 1.58 million copies across all platforms. Just 20 percent of the game's sales came through retail channels, while the rest were through digital platforms like Steam, Xbox Live and PSN. The sales for Payday 2 were enough to land it a spot in the NPD's top ten sales list for August. Starbreeze CEO Bo Andersson-Klint said in early August that the game turned a profit just six days before it launched, so things are certainly looking up for the developer.
Payday 2 yoinks top spot in this week's UK charts
Witnesses report the nefarious Payday 2 was sighted in a hit-and-run in the UK charts. It's believed Overkill's crime-it-up stole the prized top spot from Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition, where Mojang's crafter had been safely stowed for three weeks straight. The police had nothing to say on the matter, and told us to stop calling them. In other chart–crime news, is that Grand Theft Auto 4 we see sneaking into tenth place? With GTA 5 around the corner on September 17 and all the hubbub of last week, Brits seem very keen to reunite with their own in Scottish-based GTA studio Rockstar North. Elsewhere, chart mainstays like FIFA 13, Black Ops 2, The Last of Us, and Tomb Raider - it's still going, Square Enix! - continue to hang tough.
Overkill adding 5 DLC packs to Payday 2, would 'love' to add mods
Overkill Software producer Almir Listo recently said the studio has "a year of DLC planned" for Payday 2, its multiplayer heist game that launched this week on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 (August 23 for Xbox Games on Demand). Listo tells Joystiq that five DLC packs in total are in the works. "Payday 2 - just like its predecessor Payday: The Heist - is a living thing. We have 5 DLCs planned together with 505 Games for the coming year." Listo went on to say that Overkill would continue to update the game with both paid and free content, "just like we did with the first game." In Payday 2, the same maps are recycled over many different types of jobs, suggesting a natural fit for modding support or Steamworks integration. "We would love to add support for creating community generated content," Listo said, but in the meantime the team will "continue to look into this." Listo posted a message on Steam yesterday about absent safe house customization options and Cloakers, special heavy-duty police units seen in the beta. Both will be added down the line: "The safe house is what we intended it to be at release," Listo said. "Just like Bain says when you enter the safe house for the first time, it's not much at the moment, but give it some time. He's working on it and he'll let us do some decorating soon." Finally, Listo addressed the idea of further franchise crossovers. The first Payday had a mission set in the No Mercy map of Left 4 Dead, serving as a non-canon prequel to Valve's co-op zombie shooting gallery. On this point Listo said, "We can't discuss if we have any crossovers planned right now, but we will let you know when/if that should change."
Payday 2 review: Take the money and run
Payday 2 is a heist-em-up starring four crooks – codenamed Dallas, Hoxton, Chains and Wolf – who take on a series of jobs in the hopes of earning enough cash to retire on a beach somewhere, sipping fruity drinks with little plastic umbrellas in them. It's a nice fantasy, but Payday 2 proves that you can't plan for everything. No two jobs, despite being of similar set-up, go down in the same way – and without the help of few friends, you'll never survive long enough to reach that tropical paradise.%Gallery-195861%
Strict planning and randomized robbery in Payday 2
Hollywood heist movies typically give equal billing to the planning phase and the execution of the robbery. The original Payday offered players one half of the traditional blockbuster heist experience, throwing players into a heavily-scripted level against a seemingly relentless tidal wave of AI enemies and calling it a day. In Payday 2, the crucial planning stage has finally been added, dividing jobs into several phases that spread out over the course of a number of days and randomizing the outcomes for would-be robbers.%Gallery-193877%
Payday 2 web series continues in 'The Vault'
This second episode of the live-action Payday 2 web series picks up where the first one left off: the crew is in the middle of robbing a bank and is about to make its escape from the vault. Payday 2 will launch on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC in August.
Payday 2 secures pre-order loot on Xbox 360, PS3
Those who sign up early for Overkill's latest heist, Payday 2, will net themselves some additional in-game perks. Pre-ordering on either the Xbox 360 and PS3 will yield the Lootbag DLC pack, which includes a red dot weapon sight attachment, a trio of exclusive masks and a fistful of in-game cash. Payday 2 pre-orders have been open on Steam for a week now. The Lootbag DLC will go to those who pre-order the base version of the game, while the $50 Career Criminal Edition will net players the same incentives listed above, along with two beta keys, in-game blueprints, store discounts, and the full soundtrack from Simon Viklund (Bionic Commando: Rearmed).
Payday 2 planning an August heist, web series starts in two weeks
Payday 2, the Overkill-developed crook sim, is set to launch in August. The news comes at the end of the trailer above, which teases a new web series set to start in two weeks. We have yet to see any actual Payday 2 gameplay beyond a brief teaser issued in March, but feel free to case our gallery of in-game shots below. Payday 2 – which adds classes and a contracts database on top of its predecessor's core robbery mechanics – is planning its heist on Steam, PS3 and Xbox 360. Pre-orders are open on Steam right now and all who sign up early will get an in-game loot pack. %Gallery-189209%
Payday 2 wants unmarked, non-sequential bills this August
Starbreeze-owned developer Overkill Software will launch Payday 2 this August on consoles and PC. Publisher 505 Games announced this morning the game will no longer be limited to digital distribution networks, with retail versions planned for Xbox 360 and PS3. "We're expecting great things from Payday 2 and are really looking forward to working with our retail partners all over the world to make it the huge success it deserves to be," said 505 Games Head of Global Brand Tim Woodley. Payday: The Heist sold around a half-million copies and the sequel received a creative injection last year when it was announced Battlefield 3 lead designer David Goldfarb exited EA to work on the project.
Payday 2 trailer and the importance of cutting eyeholes in your mask
Hey. Hey, guys. What day is it? Hmm? What day is it? Well, it's Wednesday. Obviously. What were you going to say? Whatever; it doesn't matter because Wednesday is boring and we wish it were Friday because Friday is usually Payday, and next Friday will be Payday 2, even.
Payday 2 will feature a 'contract database,' coming this summer
Starbreeze has revealed new features, game upgrades, and a release window for Payday 2, the sequel the Overkill-developed multiplayer shooter Payday: The Heist. According to a new fact sheet released today, Overkill's latest is due out this summer as a downloadable game on Xbox Live Arcade, the PlayStation Network, and the PC via Steam.The first game only offered a few different "heists" to play, but the sequel features CRIMENET, a "contract database" offering dozens of different jobs to take, which can take place across multiple stages and change according to certain equipment purchases (like a faster escape car or an inside man). Additionally, each level has a new amount of dynamic content, including random layouts or rare events, and finishing each job rewards loot like new masks, weapons, or other accessories.Players also get to choose a profession of Mastermind, Enforcer, Ghost or Technician, each with its own skills and equipment to use, and can work their way up from the lowest thug on the totem pole to high-end heisters as they play. That summer release is coming up quick, so we should see more of the game very soon.
Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel takes out baddies with Overkill mode
Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel will include a new Overkill mode, which can be activated to allow you and your buddy to dole out extra damage for a limited amount of time. Players can activate Overkill mode by taking down enemies.EA showed off a split-screen demo of The Devil's Cartel, including Overkill, at its Gamescom press conference today. During the demo, Alpha and Bravo took out a helicopter with a handgun, and absolutely no one was surprised.
Ex-Battlefield lead David Goldfarb now at Starbreeze, working on Payday sequel
Last month, we heard that Battlefield 3 lead designer David Goldfarb exited EA's Sweden-based DICE studio. It seems that Goldfarb is staying in the country, as he's accepted a job at Starbreeze-owned developer Overkill Software. Goldfarb announced as much on Twitter, donning the above Payday: The Heist mask and scaring children worldwide.Goldfarb is set to work alongside studio lead Ulf Andersson on a sequel to Payday, as well as an unannounced title Overkill is working on. "I've worked on these huge games, and that was great, but I really wanted to work on smaller, tighter, and more intimate projects that are more gameplay driven, and I saw the opportunity to do that here," Goldfarb told Develop. Andersson added, "I'm really looking forward to this to see if we can make something really cool together."
