Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post / Lifestyle

Game Review: Payday 2

Ian Knott
NZME. regionals·
30 Aug, 2013 06:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Payday 2 is only fun with more than one player. Photo / File.

Payday 2 is only fun with more than one player. Photo / File.

All too often in gaming we see titles where the focus is on the single player campaign and the multiplayer aspect has been somewhat of an afterthought. Well, 505 Games' crime simulation game Payday 2 is the polar opposite of those games.

Do not, under any circumstances, play this first-person shooter by yourself. Frustrating and infuriating doesn't even begin to describe the abomination that is Payday 2 single player. The lacklustre AI of your criminal buddies is surpassed only by the complete omission of any AI in the swat teams trying to stop you. If they were any dumber, they would actually be allies.

So thank goodness it is all about co-op multiplayer, in which the swat AI is still pathetic, but having living, thinking humans on your side is a pleasure.

You are one of a team of four criminals who plan out and execute armed heists of banks, jewellery stores, nightclubs and the like. The challenge is to get in and out without raising the alarm or getting caught or killed. Armoured doors and safes need to be thermo drilled to begin with, which can take five minutes. During that time you need to control members of the public and, more often than not, waves of swat from all directions. Good planning and leadership makes for a quality experience.

Getting money then allows you to use the overly complicated upgrade system.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Payday 2 is a highly rewarding game, but only if you have three like-minded friends.

Payday 2

From: 505 Games

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

For: PS3

Rating: 4 / 5

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Rotorua Daily Post

Rural retreats chase booming wellness tourism dollar in Bay

21 Mar 10:02 PM
ReviewsMegan Wilson

Review: Money, murder and mayhem – what would you do with £735,000?

19 Mar 03:04 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

19,000 jobs: Record kiwifruit harvest boosts the Bay of Plenty

13 Mar 05:05 PM

Sponsored

Sponsored: The deposit myth putting Kiwis off building

24 Mar 04:35 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Premium
Rural retreats chase booming wellness tourism dollar in Bay
Rotorua Daily Post

Rural retreats chase booming wellness tourism dollar in Bay

More tourists are seeking unplugged, nature-based getaways.

21 Mar 10:02 PM
Review: Money, murder and mayhem – what would you do with £735,000?
Megan Wilson
ReviewsMegan Wilson

Review: Money, murder and mayhem – what would you do with £735,000?

19 Mar 03:04 AM
19,000 jobs: Record kiwifruit harvest boosts the Bay of Plenty
Rotorua Daily Post

19,000 jobs: Record kiwifruit harvest boosts the Bay of Plenty

13 Mar 05:05 PM


Sponsored: The deposit myth putting Kiwis off building
Sponsored

Sponsored: The deposit myth putting Kiwis off building

24 Mar 04:35 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • NZME Digital Performance Marketing
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP