PAYDAY 3

What to Know

Critics Recommend

Average Score

Total Reviews: 19

Skip It

Payday 3 features improved AI and fun, cooperative heists, but subpar gunplay, matchmaking problems, and poor optimization hold it back.

Skip It

Critics Recommend

Critic Reviews: 19

Critics Consensus

# Reviews: 19

Payday 3 features improved AI and fun, cooperative heists, but subpar gunplay, matchmaking problems, and poor optimization hold it back.

Where to Play

** VSG may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

Rate and Review

What did you think of PAYDAY 3?

Player Reviews0 Votes

Critic Reviews for PAYDAY 3

Critic Reviews

Score Distribution

19

Reviews

Average Score - 68/100

68%

Ranges

7/10

Travis Northup (IGN)

Payday 3 is a solid step forward for my favorite heist simulator franchise, even though that step is a lot smaller than I’d hoped due to a lack of content and the unsurprising but still majorly annoying bugs and performance issues. The awesome combat, greatly improved AI, and especially the stealth options are so massive they alone justify this as a full sequel, and the new and improved heists with clear phases to navigate them are absolutely fantastic. I just wish there was more loot in the proverbial vault at the outset, and that Starbreeze would have used its years of experience in order to ensure this was a more robust and far more stable launch. I’m confident Payday 3 could become the sequel we all deserve with a year or two of updates – for now, it’s a nice start.

September 19, 2023 |

Full Review

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 However its lack of content, outdated gunplay, underwhelming AI, and unfinished cutscenes leave a lot to be desired.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.

September 22, 2023 |

Full Review

5/10

Simon Fitzgerald (Push Square)

3.5/5 stars

Giovanni Colantonio (Digital Trends)

Payday 3 doesn’t shake up its predecessor’s formula much, but a strong batch of initial heists sets the live service shooter up for success.

September 21, 2023 |

Full Review

Travis Northup (IGN)

7/10 - (Read Review)

Simon Fitzgerald (Push Square)

5/10 - (Read Review)

Giovanni Colantonio (Digital Trends)

3.5/5 stars - (Read Review)

Payday 3 doesn’t shake up its predecessor’s formula much, but a strong batch of initial heists sets the live service shooter up for success.

**Read all 19 critic reviews on the desktop version of VSG.

Read the Reviews (19 total)

Outlet	Author	Score	Date	Quote	Read
Cerealkillerz	Nick Erlenhof	7.3 / 10	09-21-2023	Payday 3 takes a big step forward in what has been the sole field of heist simulators. The new stealth mechanics are motivating, the gameplay has been improved and the heists are varied. However, there are still some drawbacks in the current lack of content, the AI and the general polish. However, some things are already being worked on, so that Heist fans will soon be able to let off steam here.	Read review
Checkpoint Gaming	Omi Koulas	6 / 10	09-20-2023	PAYDAY 3 offers a cooperative gameplay experience with an array of heists and a progression system that has its merits. However, it’s not without its share of issues. AI inconsistencies, unremarkable objectives, and underwhelming audio-visual elements tarnish the experience. While it’s an imperfect addition to the series, it still offers a taste of the criminal underworld. Like any complex caper, it has its moments of brilliance, but also a few unexpected hiccups along the way.	Read review
Chicas Gamers	Álvaro Bustío	Recommended	09-22-2023	Payday 3 is a good multiplayer game in which, although it is not essential, its fun increases considerably even more if we enjoy it in the company of a group of friends or acquaintances with whom we can communicate. A game whose story is not important, but its map designs and objectives are, which by the way are excellent and very varied and will range from something as typical as robbing a bank to more original things like robbing an armored van or robbing a museum, situations that will make each experience different and fresh.	Read review
Digital Trends	Giovanni Colantonio	3.5 / 5 stars	09-21-2023	Payday 3 doesn’t shake up its predecessor’s formula much, but a strong batch of initial heists sets the live service shooter up for success.	Read review
Game Rant	Dalton Cooper	2 / 5 stars	09-21-2023	Not only can fans expect future Payday 3 updates to add more unlockables to the game, but more substantial content like new heists are in the pipeline as well. Future updates will likely iron out Payday 3’s matchmaking problems and immersion-breaking graphical mishaps, resulting in a smoother and more consistently entertaining experience. With future updates, Payday 3 may even be a game that surpasses its predecessor, but it has a seriously long way to go. Those still curious should consider checking out Payday 3 through Xbox Game Pass instead of buying the game at full price.	Read review
Gamerheadquarters	Jason Stettner	6.7 / 10	09-20-2023	Payday 3 does play it safe, it feels like Payday 2 with some refinements and modern elements while not greatly expanding upon the core concepts of play.	Read review
Generación Xbox	Javier Bassols	8.5 / 10	09-21-2023	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.	Read review
God is a Geek	Mick Fraser	7.5 / 10	09-19-2023	Payday 3 is designed around those emergent moments that only come with friends, when you’re trying desperately to stay in control.	Read review
Hobby Consolas	Daniel Quesada	68 / 100	09-22-2023	It offers shocking moments and its proposal is very attractive, but it is too outdated in the technical and sometimes the development is unnecessarily convoluted.	Read review
IGN	Travis Northup	7 / 10	09-24-2023	Payday 3’s cooperative heists are off to a strong start, even if the vault is a bit bare at the moment.	Read review
IGN Spain	Estrella Gómez	6 / 10	09-22-2023	After a long time, Payday returns with its third main game. Payday 3 evolves the beloved saga thanks to its satisfying changes, such as improved AI and heists that are more than up to par. However, leaving aside the numerous bugs, the cooperative shooter falls far short in terms of content.	Read review
PowerUp!	Leo Stevenson	8 / 10	09-24-2023	At this early stage, Payday 3 is good, but not great. It’s got a lot of potential and will undoubtedly grow with the fanbase over time. The eight heists on offer, provide a range of missions and objectives and, as mentioned, are highly replyable.	Read review
Press Start	Harry Kalogirou	6.5 / 10	09-21-2023	While PAYDAY 3 will no doubt please series veterans and newcomers, it’s still a few updates a way from being definitively better than PAYDAY 2. When everything is working seamlessly, it offers some of the highest highs in the series thus far, but frustrating omissions and questionable progression design restrain PAYDAY 3’s ability to be consistent.	Read review
Push Square	Simon Fitzgerald	5 / 10	09-21-2023	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.	Read review
Rock, Paper, Shotgun	Alice Bell	Not Recommended	09-21-2023	Payday 3 has some good, complex levels to do your co-op heisting, but the matchmaking and levelling systems make it harder to have fun with other players.	Read review
Stevivor	Hamish Lindsay	7.5 / 10	09-21-2023	It’s an easy recommend for series fans, just don’t expect it to be the lumbering behemoth that was Payday 2… yet.	Read review
The Games Machine	Marco Bortoluzzi	7.5 / 10	09-23-2023	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.	Read review
VideoGamer	Amaar Chowdhury	8 / 10	09-21-2023	As any larcenist knows, all the best robberies begin discreetly before snowballing into a wild frenzy soundtracked to upbeat electronic music. Payday 3 does this with brimming style, before running away with the money.	Read review
Wccftech	Ule Lopez	6 / 10	09-22-2023	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.	Read review

** Learn more about how to become a MetaMeter-approved Critic.

Game Info

Game Description / Storyline:

The PAYDAY Gang once struck fear into the hearts of law enforcement and citizenry all across the United States, with some reports accusing them of crimes as far away as Russia. The seemingly unstoppable criminals were responsible for a spree of audacious heists, made even more remarkable by the fact that the gang was never caught. Then, one day, the robberies that shook the world suddenly ceased. The PAYDAY Gang seemed to vanish off the face of the Earth. This peaceful reprieve has lasted years… But peacetime never lasts forever.

RELEASE DATES:

DEVELOPER(S):

PUBLISHER(S):

GENRES:

SERIES/FRANCHISE:

GAME MODES:

GAME ENGINE:

DLC:

BUNDLED IN:

DIRECTOR(S):

PRODUCER(S):

DESIGNER(S):

PROGRAMMER(S):

ARTIST(S):

WRITER(S):

COMPOSER(S):

LINKS:

AGE RATING:

Detailed Information

GAME MODES:

GAME ENGINE:

DLC:

BUNDLED IN:

DIRECTOR(S):

PRODUCER(S):

DESIGNER(S):

PROGRAMMER(S):

ARTIST(S):

WRITER(S):

COMPOSER(S):

PC System Requirements

Windows

MINIMUM

OS: Windows 10

Processor: Intel Core i5-9400F

Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1650 (4 GB)

DirectX:

Storage:

Notes: Broadband Internet connection

RECOMMENDED

OS: Windows 10

Processor: Intel Core i7-9700K

Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1080 (8GB)

DirectX:

Storage:

Notes: Broadband Internet connection

Developed by Starbreeze Studios. All titles, content, brand names, trademarks, logos, artwork, and associated imagery are trademarks and/or copyright material of their respective owners. © All rights reserved.