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.