This remaster is not that great

Marketed as a true heist game, Payday 2 was released in 2013 for PC and previous generation systems. Payday 2: Crimewave Edition is available for the current generation consoles and includes all the DLC and many features/add-ons from the PC version, as well as an improvement in performance.

Payday 2 is best played with friends, with each member being tasked with specific jobs. One could be in charge of taking out guards, while another could keep a check of the drill. The class based system works well in a group as different players capitalise on their own play-styles. You gain cash and xp depending on how much you stole, which can then be used to level one of the many skill trees, perks and abilities available. True to its nature, heists are entertaining and thrilling, and they adjust themselves organically if you fail to meet the objective as intended.

Payday 2 doesn’t offer a good tutorial on how all the different systems are supposed to work and this is especially true for customisation options and the menus. There is a staggering amount of options available and most are not clearly explained. Other times, more than half of the skills don’t seem to make much of a difference. It is extremely confusing to choose a leveling path for your character.

The remaster itself is not done well with freezing and connection issues plaguing its release. It looks incredibly dated and fails to achieve the standard of 60 fps for any remaster. Just like Saints Row IV and Sleeping Dogs, Payday 2 does not offer a worthwhile upgrade. The game itself is pretty good, but Payday 2: Crimewave edition is a remaster no one asked for. If you already own the game, there is no reason to get this.