EGM: "There is something undeniably addicting about Payday 2, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. The math adds up, yet it doesn’t—at least, for someone like me. And by math, I mean the usual elements we deconstruct games by: visual presentation, audio presentation, control, that nebulous term “gameplay,” storytelling, and characters. The first four of those come together in Payday 2. The last two don’t even matter."
GB: "Of course, Payday 2 has had its fair share of ups and downs as well, in spite of the success that it has enjoyed. For starters, the disparity between the game’s PC and console versions is a major issue that plagued the game for years on end, thanks to the frustrating optimization issues across platforms brought about by the Diesel Engine, which the game was developed on."
Payday 2 launched 10 years ago today, and a constant stream of updates still makes it worth playing ahead of Payday 3.
Starting today, Payday 2 is free at Epic Games Store. The free game offer runs until June 15. Once you claim it, it's yours to keep.
This game really deserves a little more attention.