SpawnFirst will keep you updated on this story as more details emerge.

The post Payday 2: Crimewave Edition Announced for ‘Next Gen’ appeared first on SpawnFirst.

After playing and reviewing Payday 2, which was an awesome experience, I was given the honor to write up a few questions for the hard-working people over at Starbreeze Studios. David Goldfarb, Game Director at Overkill Software, a Starbreeze studio, was gracious enough to answer my ponderous questions. My goal was to try and get a peek behind the studios’ curtains, get some insight into the development process, and see what goes on in the developers’ minds when they start out to make a sequel to a surprise hit title.

The concepts for a lot of the missions, especially the earlier ones, are very simple and yet the game always feels exciting. What steps did you take to help ensure the gameplay always felt fresh?

Conceptually, everyone understands what a robbery is. I think the strength of that concept definitely helps ground everything. In terms of the actual gameplay,a significant part of the excitement comes from the replayability and dynamics of all of our interlocking systems. There are so many possible ways a seemingly simple scenario can play out that you can never be quite sure what’s going to happen next. And since this is part of the whole robbery fiction, i.e., “and then shit went sideways”, it’s definitely playing into player expectation in a positive way. Finally, we play all the time and iterate on the levels. It’s obvious, but if something sucks, we work on alternatives until it doesn’t suck, and go from there.

Stealth. Still is, in fact. Balancing stealth and the enormous skill system has definitely kept us busy, and it will continue to do so moving forward. A close second is economy. Then there’s the sheer production cost of making levels that can be this dynamic, but that’s a subject for another interview. :=).

 

One of the biggest things I remember coming to terms with was “we need to teach the player everything” that I brought with me from Battlefield. Ultimately we decided the player was smart enough to figure shit out for themselves and what we needed to do was just get out of their way and let them learn what they wanted to learn.

Payday: The Heist was a hit. How do you keep the things that gamers loved about the first title while ensuring there are new, fun, and innovative ideas in the sequel?

We were pretty keen on retaining the concept, obviously. We knew we wanted it to be a robbery game that built on the strengths and the fantasy of the original game. The RPG and stealth aspects simply deepened the fantasy – I’m becoming the bank robber, in other words. But it definitely was touch and go in the beginning since there are so many fundamental changes from the first game, and change is always scary. Thankfully we have a team that thrives on risk and doesn’t run from innovation, so we just kind of went for it.

Does having that success from the first game make any part of the development process easier, such as allocating resources or getting bigger companies on-board, or is it easier to work with a certain degree of anonymity?

Personally I’m a big fan of anonymity, since the two games I’m proudest of were both made in those conditions. The underdog mindset is great for over-delivering. But there’s good that comes out of success too, not the least of which is fan excitement and the pressure the team will put on themselves to exceed the original title.

Gamers have a basic idea of how shooters function at this point due to popular titles like Halo, Counter-Strike, etc. How do you keep the familiarity of blockbuster shooters while maintaining Paydayâ€s unique identity?

At this point I think we’re our own thing. We don’t want to have a whole different control scheme or whatever, but we also have moved far enough afield from a conventional shooter to not feel bad about adopting different control or interactive idioms to service our game. One of the biggest things I remember coming to terms with was “we need to teach the player everything” that I brought with me from Battlefield. Ultimately we decided the player was smart enough to figure shit out for themselves and what we needed to do was just get out of their way and let them learn what they wanted to learn. You don’t have to ever stealth a bank job. You don’t ever have to min/max the ghost tree or figure out the best build. It’s up to the player to decide how deep they want to go. It’s a luxury to be able to go our own way in that regard.

It is absolutely possible. Google “stealth bank Payday 2” for instance, or “stealth Ukrainian job”. Then get to practicing!

If you havenâ€t read our review of the game, go ahead and check it out. The game is retailing for $17.99 on steam (for now) and $39.99 on consoles. The brand new Armored Transport DLC is on steam for $6.99, but if you have the console version you’ve still got a bit of a wait in front of you. Our thanks go out to Overkill and Starbreeze for taking the time to answer our questions, and bringing us an online experience that’s sure to keep us busy for months to come. Especially in the pursuit of a stealth-only mission clear.

(Special Thanks to Mikael Nermark from Starbreeze Studios for facilitating the interview)

The post Interview with Starbreeze Studios: Payday 2 appeared first on SpawnFirst.

Sometimes it just feels so right to be on the wrong side of the law. The money, the jewels, the infamy, and the…*ahem*… clown masks. It’s just all so enticing and…dirty.

Reality check: you’re not going to commit jack-squat. Let’s be honest: the closest you’ve gotten to committing a crime is leaving the toilet seat up in your parent’s bathroom. So how can you experience this dangerous lifestyle? EASY. Go out RIGHT NOW and buy Payday 2, developed by Overkill Studios and published by 505 Games. It should be available at most game retailers (don’t even try going into the store with a clown mask and blue gloves on; I learned the hard way…).

What if you don’t have the cash? Well then, we truly have a crime-worthy deal for you! You can win a Steam code of Payday 2 TWO different ways:

1. Go to Slasher JPC’s Channel and Subscribe (1 entry), and also comment on the contest video Page (1 entry) – Total 2 entries

2. Follow SpawnFirst on their Facebook Page (1 entry), and also Follow them on Twitter (1 entry) – Total 2 entries

And if you’re wondering what the Steam code gets you exactly, well…it’s not just a regular edition of the game. You receive the Career Criminal Edition, which includes the full game, plus the pre-order Loot bag DLC. It also gives free access to the first DLC, entitled, The Armored Transport Heist DLC (which will be released later this year).

SlasherJPC will announce the 2 winners next week, so stay tuned to his channel and SpawnFirst.com

Good luck, you career criminal you!

UPDATE!!!

We have a couple of winners! TheFusi0nTurtl3 on SlasherJPC’s channel and Eric Prater JCTango on the SpawnFirst side! Congrats to the both of you!

The post Payday 2 Giveaway appeared first on SpawnFirst.

I may not be a PC gaming veteran, but I donâ€t need to be to have an incredible time with Payday 2. At the beginning of the game, thereâ€s little information given to teach you the basics (unless I missed it), you just figure it out yourself, which I liked. Iâ€ve always found the best way of learning how to play a game was diving into the deep end, instead of a 10 minute tutorial which bores you to death.

Customization is quite big in Payday 2. Itâ€s not important to the game, but youâ€ll have many options to customize your weapons and your character. Youâ€re able to purchase new guns and attachments for your weapons with the ‘spending money†you have received from previous heists. This can turn your average M16 into a diabolical weapon, which will plow down your enemies. Youâ€re also able to customize your characters mask, which covers his face during heists. You wonâ€t see your own mask in-game, but your fellow thieves will. As you level up by completing heists, you’ll unlock more weapons, masks and more, although you will still have to purchase them using your ‘spending money’. Also implemented is a tree of skills, similar to Far Cry 3 and the Borderlands franchise. There are 4 separate trees, all of which specialize in different areas.

The first tree of these trees is the Mastermind. If you pick this tree (you can pick all of them), you’ll unlock a health station which will give you and your teammates health. This health station can only last 4 uses until it vanishes. The Mastermind can also get other abilities from the tree, such as increased stamina. He’s a good all-rounder, and the health definitely comes in handy. The Enforcer is the Brute tree. You’ll get an ammo bag as equipment if you pick this tree, and if you want to cause chaos, this one’s for you. Like the health station, the ammo bag will only last 4 uses until it disappears. Being able to carry bags faster can also be gained as the Enforcer, which makes the class even more appealing. The Ghost is all about stealth; getting in and out without triggering the alarm. Civilians and enemies will find you less suspicious (a skill you can buy on the Ghost’s tree), make it easy for the Ghost to get inside without making a mess. The jammer will be put in your equipment once unlocking this tree. It will interfere with cameras, cell phones and more, making it harder to be caught. The last skill tree is the Technician tree. Once you have unlocked this tree, a trip mine will be put in your equipment. Take in mind you can only have one of these pieces of equipment, because let’s be honest, with all of them it would be too easy.

Payday 2â€s main feature, Crime.net has an online and offline mode. Once in Crime.net, youâ€ll be given the choice of which heist to carry out. These heists can vary from a stereotypical bank heist, robbing a jewellery store, or just causing havoc in a shopping mall, all of which are insanely fun. After completing the mission objectives, such as stealing 3 bags of jewellery, you can then escape, if you can make it to the getaway vehicle that is. If you kill innocent civilians throughout your heist, it will cost you a sum of your total money earned. Mission objectives are different and can change. If you play the same level again, other elements will be different too. The AI security guards will be in different positions, the vault can be moved, or there might not be a vault at all. Police assaults occur during heists. This is when the Police/Swat etc. become more aggressive and attempt to move in on you and your teammates.

The gameplay in Payday 2 is very smooth. The recoil on the guns is similar to that of the Battlefield series, which made the experience feel more realistic. There’s no delay at all after pressing keys/buttons or moving your mouse/analogue sticks. The game feels near perfect when you’re turning, shooting, or sprinting. I never felt out of control or annoyed due to the gameplay mechanics. The smoothness is the same online as it is offline. No to little no lag is the usual experience, even when playing with people from afar.

Playing solo can be frustrating at times, as your AI crew members will be helpless on occasion. However, they will revive you once youâ€ve been downed, eventually. Although playing alone is enjoyable, it doesnâ€t come close to the online play. Of course, you have the option to play alone, but I don’t think that’s how Payday 2 should be played. It should be experienced with friends, planning a heist, and eventually getting rewarded with ‘dolla billz’ as a team is far more fun.

The soundtrack was something I was pleasantly surprised with in Payday 2. The music is very quick and high-paced, but only when the game gets frantic (e.g. when the police have just launched an assault). It reminds me of music in Geometry Wars 2. As the game would go on, the music would get more intense to suit the game. Make sure to appreciate the music in Payday 2, because its soundtrack is probably one of the best ones out there.

Seeing as the game isn’t officially out yet, there were bound to be problems, but surprisingly there wasn’t many. So far, I’ve only experienced 2 minor problems. Firstly, the game randomly closed after just finishing a heist, and although I received the achievement for leveling up, once I got back on I was still the same level. This will would be incredibly tedious if it happened often, but it doesn’t. Hopefully Overkill Software will fix this problem, but even if they don’t, it hardly nudges the comparable fun factor. However, when I was playing with Brian (my SpawnFirst co-worker), his game crashed/closed and upon opening the game he was at level one. With everyone getting reset on the 13th, it’s not a big deal, but if this is an issue when the game is officially out, Overkill will definitely have to sort it out. Lag was an issue in two games, but even still the lag wasn’t unbearable. Strangely, I was host for one of those games, so I doubt this is an issue with the game, but on my end.

Overall Payday 2 was an enjoyable experience. There is more to cover, so watch out for our official review which will cover the finer details, our final score, and whether this rags-to-riches title deserves to heist your wallet.

The post First Impressions: Payday 2 appeared first on SpawnFirst.

Thanks to developers Overkill Software, Payday 2 looks to amp up just about everything about the original, including better gunplay and combat, skill trees, more varied and diverse play maps, and emergent mission designs. And this time, PC and Xbox 360 players get to join in on the fun.

Let’s look at a Payday 2 gameplay preview by christrout91, as he attempts one of the many missions included in the final game. Payday 2 is aiming to provide the co-op satisfaction that the Left 4 Dead series provides.

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