Controversial Payday 3 Creates a Stir with Polarizing User Reviews on Steam

Highlights

Payday 3's launch has been chaotic and underwhelming, resulting in "Mostly Negative" reviews on Steam.

Players are encountering difficulties in joining heists and engaging in co-op due to persistent server problems and matchmaking issues. Consequently, there is a growing demand from players for an offline mode that would enable them to enjoy the game individually. However, Starbreeze has not yet made any announcements regarding the implementation of such a feature.

Payday 3 has received extremely low ratings on Steam, making it one of the worst-rated games. Despite high expectations, the release of Payday 3, the latest addition to the popular first-person shooter franchise, was chaotic and disappointing.

Taking place a few years after Payday 2, Payday 3 brings back familiar characters such as Dallas, Chains, Wolf, Hoxton, and Joy, along with the introduction of Pearl as a new member of the crew. After enjoying a period of crime-free retirement, the gang is forced back into action when a new threat emerges. This leads them to leave their headquarters in Washington and relocate to New York, where the events of Payday 3 unfold.

Upon its launch, the game features eight heists, each consisting of various stages. Players are equipped with a wide selection of weapons to choose from and encounter more advanced AI adversaries as they attempt to steal as much as possible from a single location.

Payday 3, as depicted by the "Mostly Negative" reviews on Steam, has received unfavorable feedback. As of now, the game has amassed a total of 25,387 reviews, out of which 22,165 are negative. The launch of Payday 3 has been marred by persistent matchmaking problems, causing hindrances not only in cooperative play but also in solo gameplay. Players have raised complaints regarding lengthy waiting periods before being able to enjoy the game. The continuous server issues, coupled with the controversial always-online requirement of Payday 3, have rendered participating in a heist an incredibly daunting endeavor for players. From its early access phase onward, Payday 3 has been plagued by numerous technical difficulties, particularly concerning faulty matchmaking.

After launching, Starbreeze acknowledged and addressed the matchmaking issues that were arising, assuring players that they were actively working to resolve these problems. Despite the release of fixes, the Payday 3 servers continued to face ongoing issues, leaving the game with a poor reception on the Steam platform. In fact, Payday 3 now ranks among the 100 lowest-rated games on Valve's platform, alongside titles like Redfall, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, NBA 2K24, and Overwatch 2, all of which were released in 2023.

One of the most common requests from players, who are frustrated by the difficulties associated with playing Payday 3, is the implementation of an offline mode. Such a feature would allow players to enjoy the game's heists even in the absence of functioning servers and matchmaking. While Starbreeze has not indicated any plans to introduce an offline mode, they are actively working to stabilize the game's matchmaking. Payday 3 players can only hope that the developers can successfully address the increasing array of issues, ultimately enabling them to fully enjoy one of the most highly anticipated shooter games of 2023.

Payday 3 is out now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

Source: Steam