I'll admit, I bought PAYDAY on a whim not expecting that much at it's release. The game sounded interesting, but it was coming from a studio I've not heard from before and while I love some of what SOE's done, they aren't really that well known for retail games. I started up PAYDAY, and started piddling around like I always do.

Originally PAYDAY was kind of a mess. Stability issues were extremely common, leading to frustrating multiplayer experiences along with limited video options available to the player. This felt like a frustrating console port that really didn't play to the PC's strengths and had issues just running in the first place. It was enough for me to shelve it for awhile.

What about now? Well, six months later (yes, I know it's been longer.. shut up) the game has shaped up significantly. More options were exposed to the user including control toggles for movement, the use of sights and an even more awesome and exceedingly well done implementation of Field of View options. While it's difficult to remember just how limited the options were, it's great to see that we have antialiasing, vsync, and detail options that all give a sense of being able to tweak the game to compromise performance and quality based on your own preferences. What's even better is that after this six month simmer period, the game runs beautifully. It's smooth, silky smooth. No hardware replacements on my end, it's just plain awesome. I'm not fighting framerate drops even during the busiest moments and I don't feel like the controls are my enemy as a result.

While most people compare PAYDAY to Left 4 Dead, I find it hard to make that comparison beyond the fact that it shares some gameplay elements. Squad of four, special "infected" or Police units really is the extent of the similarities (barring any hint at zombie involvement after this review). The game is much more about control of key areas, as far as I've experienced, and less about just simply running and gunning. Sure there's "Heat Street" which does kind of push for running and gunning, but at the same time the "weight" of various mechanics just change your mindset to seeking and staying in cover and making a move when you know you won't take much flak for it.

One thing I've always liked about Payday is it's over-the-top response by Law Enforcement. Even with my first experience back in October on First World Bank, I remember staring out the front doors of the bank after finding the last pesky camera to see NYPD squad cars slide in to view with officers jumping out. I recall seeing police officers running by the bullet-proof glass as they made their way to various entrances and I recall the almost perfect escalation of force that was so appropriate for the level.

There are a LOT of little details that make you smile after having seen some of the movies in which the game takes a good deal from, but it's not just animations, style, or heists that borrow from that. There's even a neat-o filter that changes the color palette based on whatever you happen to choose. From movies such as Black Hawk Down all the way to The Matrix, it really can add more to the game's presentation if you let it. Amusingly enough OVERKILL saw fit to add even a few nods at the industry's habits with filters such as "NextGen Brown" which add a hefty amount of brown as a nod to the Call of Duty, Battlefield, Gears of War, and other modern shooters.

The game isn't perfect, but as a start, it bodes well for OVERKILL. The amount of suggestions and feedback acted on by the developers has shown that not only have they learned a great deal, that they're truly trying to make games that are enjoyable within the scope of what they're aiming for. PAYDAY: The Heist is a great game and for $20, you would have a hard time finding better.