"Payday 2"

[Marq]

"Yo, yo yo - pop a forty, and check your rollies: it's crime time!"

Did you dig that opening scene to "The Dark Knight" as much as I did? Good, 'cause this game is the closest thing you'll have to ever pulling something like that off. Basically, you can have up to four different criminals who engage in things like jewelry store break-in's, bank heists, weapons smuggling, etc., and save for a few glaring issues, it's pretty gosh-dang cool.

Now, admittedly, this game is one of those games that could polarize players -- all it takes is for one Leeroy Jenkins asshole to fuck things up and turn a stealthy and potentially kill-free heist into a chaotic bloodbath, but if your team's good (or if you like "Heat"-style shootouts), you'll have tons of fun. Now, this needs to be said: don't bother with A.I. teammates, 'cause they are COMPLETELY retarded in regards to crime efficiency ("Hey, I'll just stand here and sporadically shoot at cops while you make ten trips on your own carrying heavy-ass cash bags from the bank to the escape van -- that cool?"), so to get the OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE, play with friends or find a good group online.

Are you a customization nut like me? Good, 'cause there's a ton of shit to customize in the way of your guns or your robbery mask (which, due to my inherent homosexuality, was the big draw for me). In-game, there are some pretty involved skill trees with crime-friendly skills ranging from better hostage management, to faster safe drilling, to better skills with suppression fire, to expertise with electronic jammers, etc., and I love the idea of not having to stick to one tree exclusively. Instead of just being the stealthy "ghost" class, you can be an expert with lockpicking and jamming, but also lay down ammo bags for your fellow crooks like the "enforcer" can. In the same vein, you can be a great "mastermind" player by keeping teammates healed and cops intimidated into helping you, but you might also be technical enough to create and deploy your own sentry gun to cover an entrance like the "technician" can.

Mission-wise, there are some really good and varied maps and objectives, but the best part about the game is that locations and difficulty of safes/security/police types/etc. change every time you play. You might THINK the huge safe is in that backroom of the china shop, only to find out the real payout is in a vault located in the electronics store across the street! Or, that camera you're hoping to jam behind the door you're stealthily lockpicking? Turns out there's a security guard behind it, who won't hesitate to shoot and, in turn, alert everyone else in the bank with his gunfire.

You can stealth your way in, or go guns-a'blazing, but there's nothing sweeter than walking into a bank you've already cased with electronic/physical security out the ass, and walking out with over $1,000,000 in jewelry/gold/cash without civvies knowing. But then again, it's also pretty sweet taking on waves of S.W.A.T. and FBI when shit hits the fan and holding them off with assault rifles, shotguns, and trip mines while your buddies blow up a safe with couple blocks of C4.

I'd give this game a solid three out of five stars -- no story mode or campaign, and the graphics are pretty lackluster considering it's 2013, but it's a genuinely thrilling and FUN game to play for calculating gamers and adrenaline junkies, alike. Throw in the fact it's got a manageable price tag ($39.99), too, and you've got yourself quite the steal. Totally recommended if you've got the cash to spare.

[Black Death]

I been checking out the game play trailers  to this game looks like fun ... maybe we could get a crew together to pull off some heist

might be worth checking out

[Cory]

Played this game on my brothers xbox, pretty fun.