Payday 3 refines on its game mechanics from Payday 2 for both stealth & loud. The gameplay is similar to Payday: The Heist relying more on team work rather than what skills you bring to get through a heist. The game currently features 8 heists which are all unique, 19 weapons (11 primary, 6 secondary, 2 overkill) & 6 playable characters (5 returning & 1 new).

The user interface feels too simplified & doesn't have the unique charm like with Payday 2 Crime Net theme. The navigation is terrible & the game doesn't offer the same features we got in Payday 2 such as renaming weapons, rearranging inventory & detailed weapon statistics for example. Honestly, the user interface feels like left over code from Overkill's The Walking Dead such as when selecting the heist. Don't even get me start on the vendors menu, just finding a weapon you want is a pain for example.

The game is currently online only which means you can't host a lobby offline & can't pause in a "solo" heist. You can still matchmake with friends only or invite only filters but you're still relying on their server to be up 24/7. After completing a heist, you're sent back to the main menu instead of the lobby like in Payday 2. This ruins any social aspect of the game as you don't get to keep playing with the same group of players.

The experience purely tied to in-game challenges & progression after the first few levels is a chore unless you keep changing your play style for the better or worse. Personally, challenges should aid in levelling up but not be the sole focus to level up similar to Payday: The Heist. Payday 2 experience was purely tied to the heist progression & will likely not sit right for many players coming across to Payday 3.

In terms of the gameplay changes for stealth, being able to finish the heist while in casing mode is nice. Most of the heists is built with this playstyle in mind except for 2. The 2 heists in question is either loud only or requires you to mask up to enter the area unless you're in co-op.

If you're in casing mode & you get caught in a private area, you're just sent back to the public area with a warning instead of the guard alerting everyone like in Payday 2. Some guards carry keycards you got to swipe while they're patrolling & it has multiple uses. There's no body bagging anymore & you can simply move them whenever you want.

In terms of the gameplay changes for loud, there's a negotiation phase added at the start of most heists where you can trade hostages for time. As long as you don't do any hostile actions, you can use this time to make progression in the heist.

The overkill weapon system currently lack any choices of weaponry & the poor placement when called in. It also drops whenever you swap weapons or downed & anyone on your team can take it.

Lastly, final charge phase is just stupid especially when it's during the first assault wave. That phase triggers when you're near the end of your heist & not based on heist length, the special van enemy or punishment for killing civilians. I'll rather have the point of no return from Payday: The Heist or Payday 2 since that's usually tied to getting to the escape vehicle.

Overall, the game is not worth it's current price & needs some serious updates before it's in a good state. I'll recommend buying Payday 2 or Payday: The Heist on sale & give Payday 3 a few more months to sort itself out.

Payday 3 refines on its game mechanics from Payday 2 for both stealth & loud. The gameplay is similar to Payday: The Heist relying more on team work rather than what skills you bring to get through a heist. The game currently features 8 heists which are all unique, 19 weapons (11 primary, 6 secondary, 2 overkill) & 6 playable characters (5 returning & 1 new). The user interface feels too simplified & doesn't have the unique charm like with Payday 2 Crime Net theme. The navigation is terrible & the game doesn't offer the same features we got in Payday 2 such as renaming weapons, rearranging inventory & detailed weapon statistics for example. Honestly, the user interface feels like left over code from Overkill's The Walking Dead such as when selecting the heist. Don't even get me start on the vendors menu, just finding a weapon you want is a pain for example. The game is currently online only which means you can't host a lobby offline & can't pause in a "solo" heist. You can still matchmake with friends only or invite only filters but you're still relying on their server to be up 24/7. After completing a heist, you're sent back to the main menu instead of the lobby like in Payday 2. This ruins any social aspect of the game as you don't get to keep playing with the same group of players. The experience purely tied to in-game challenges & progression after the first few levels is a chore unless you keep changing your play style for the better or worse. Personally, challenges should aid in levelling up but not be the sole focus to level up similar to Payday: The Heist. Payday 2 experience was purely tied to the heist progression & will likely not sit right for many players coming across to Payday 3. In terms of the gameplay changes for stealth, being able to finish the heist while in casing mode is nice. Most of the heists is built with this playstyle in mind except for 2. The 2 heists in question is either loud only or requires you to mask up to enter the area unless you're in co-op. If you're in casing mode & you get caught in a private area, you're just sent back to the public area with a warning instead of the guard alerting everyone like in Payday 2. Some guards carry keycards you got to swipe while they're patrolling & it has multiple uses. There's no body bagging anymore & you can simply move them whenever you want. In terms of the gameplay changes for loud, there's a negotiation phase added at the start of most heists where you can trade hostages for time. As long as you don't do any hostile actions, you can use this time to make progression in the heist. The overkill weapon system currently lack any choices of weaponry & the poor placement when called in. It also drops whenever you swap weapons or downed & anyone on your team can take it. Lastly, final charge phase is just stupid especially when it's during the first assault wave. That phase triggers when you're near the end of your heist & not based on heist length, the special van enemy or punishment for killing civilians. I'll rather have the point of no return from Payday: The Heist or Payday 2 since that's usually tied to getting to the escape vehicle. Overall, the game is not worth it's current price & needs some serious updates before it's in a good state. I'll recommend buying Payday 2 or Payday: The Heist on sale & give Payday 3 a few more months to sort itself out.