PAYDAY lastly acquired its first VR-native entry into the storied franchise. Whereas it’s not the royal flush I hoped for, it actually wasn’t offsuit seven-deuces both.
Developer: Quick Journey Video games
Writer: Quick Journey Games
Obtainable On: Quest, SteamVR (Body model incl.)
Reviewed On: Quest 3
Launch Date: November fifth, 2026
Value: $25
Gameplay
There’s a cohesive story in right here someplace. Someone named Jupiter is dangerous. One thing one thing gotta steal stuff from dangerous man. It’s been ceaselessly since I performed Payday 2 (by no means 3), so I can’t say whether or not this can be a continuation, or what’s really occurring.
That’s about as a lot as I feel you have to be anticipated to soak up although, which is simply advantageous for a Payday sport. The important thing isn’t the filler backstory, however actually the individuality of every mission and its numerous environmental puzzles. And I’m completely happy to say that missions are certainly distinctive, and multilayered sufficient to make them price coming again for extra. In brief, Payday: Aces Excessive is principally what it says on the tin, and I wouldn’t blame you should you stopped studying right here.
That stated, drilling in a bit deeper, the sport isn’t with out its flaws, some that will even urk dyed-in-the-wool Payday followers, which I get into somewhat later under.
As it’s, there are some commonplace puzzle bits you’ll see in every of the sport’s six mission: four-digit door codes and mixture lock codes, each of which require you to hunt across the degree for random post-its in a again workplace or wall someplace, however there’s additionally gear-based stuff like hacking laptops utilizing your particular watch, and calling in a drone-mounted drill that’s one thing of a minigame to distract you as your buddies might want to defend you whereas your again is turned.
However there are additionally puzzles particular to every mission, which embrace every thing from timing based mostly challenges to defending numerous seize factors. It’s the kind of factor that requires team-based planning, which is nice when you’ve got a great group of three different folks by your aspect.
Now, this may increasingly go with out saying, however co-op video games are virtually all the time extra enjoyable with pals, and likewise people who find themselves earnestly making an attempt to cooperate. That’s most undoubtedly the case with PAYDAY: Aces Excessive, because it serves up largely the identical well-worn taking pictures and heisting expertise you already know from its different primary department titles all through the years, which makes it an excellent framework for drop-in, drop-out enjoyable.
That stated, should you can’t handle to get some pals collectively, or discover a respectable fast match—which isn’t too robust proper now because the sport simply launched—you’ll have to play solo. And I don’t advocate it in any respect.
When taking part in solo, or in a silent/uncooperative group (principally solo), you actually begin to discover simply how blindingly dumb the sport’s AI is. Baddies are available in waves when you’ve blown your cowl by donning your masks, or by bumping right into a civilian, or being detected in a restricted space. That’s largely advantageous. However they’re so inept that the time period ‘bullet sponges’ doesn’t do them justice—actual amount over high quality stuff.
As it’s, you’ll end up in a room filled with enemies of various sorts, all of that are randomly taking pictures (and lacking more often than not) with none obvious tactic or intuition to take cowl. Even probably the most highly effective mini-gun dude with armor is an un-reactive moron on the default Regular mode.
Once more, you may not instantly discover this when issues are quick and the bullets are flying in a great on-line co-op match, however ultimately it is going to develop into one thing you simply can’t unsee. And better issue solely appears to offer enemies higher armor and taking pictures capability, and never a lot else. That’s, indubitably, the most important flaw in Payday: Aces Excessive proper now.
It’s a little bit of disgrace too, as a result of it’s one of many best-looking video games on Quest proper now, pushing somewhat increased visible constancy on PC, however not by a lot. And Quick Journey Video games (re: not the unique devs, Starbreeze) have translated the Payday heisting expertise into a real VR native.
Immersion
Seeing a civilian aimlessly stroll in a circle, or a cop who helps you to get in his face and assume nothing of it actually hammers dwelling that the expertise isn’t about really doing a heist. These are lifeless drones that serve extra as moveable puzzle items, which is ok for the style. It’s simply not terribly immersive.
It primarily boils down the expertise to a collection of checklists, which is often capped off with an enormous firefight towards infinite waves of baddies. Make the dangerous males fall, full the goals to better of your capability, get the money, purchase new devices, and play any mission once more. Perhaps even the identical simply to farm extra cash, which a great group and I did for a few half-hour earlier than folks misplaced curiosity. That’s Payday for you. It’s not an indictment of the franchise, simply one thing you have to be conscious of.
The sport’s comparatively minor transgressions really feel synthetic, however not as synthetic as its objectively horrible AI. For instance, glass solely breaks while you shoot it. Why? It’s a must to maintain loot objects in your arms and crush them till they magically disappear. Due to causes? Lots of the door codes/combos repeat throughout a number of locks. That’s simply dangerous op-sec. I feel all of that may be mocked, but additionally forgiven within the protection of constructing the general expertise work for gamers.
On the intense aspect, gun dealing with is definitely fairly good, because it permits for guide reloading by coming out a magazine with a button press, pulling a magazine (or shotgun shells) from behind your again, loading and charging manually. Right here, I respect sacrificing ease of use when it’s in service of realism.
The stock system can be good, placing your weapons in outlined spots in your physique, and additional objects in a three-slot pop-up stock that you may name up by urgent Y/B. Gamey and never immersive, positive, but additionally nicely designed sufficient to provide the necessary bits while you want them most, and out of the way in which while you don’t.
Stage design can be a robust swimsuit, as massive complexes simply swallow lagging staff members, providing up a great mixture of open and closed-quarter areas for various kinds of firefights.
Consolation
For its flaws, Payday: Aces Excessive is a really comfy sport, because it follows all the well-worn consolation conventions that Quick Journey and different veteran VR builders have accrued over the previous decade.
It could actually equally be performed standing or seated, with seated gameplay unencumbered by the stock system, which doesn’t intrude with arm rests, so you’ll be able to sit again and play simply as simply as standing.
| ‘PAYDAY: Aces Excessive’ Consolation Settings – November fifth, 2026 | |
| Turning | |
| Snap-turn |  |
| Fast-turn |  |
| Clean-turn | |
| Motion | |
| Teleport-move | |
| Sprint-move | |
| Clean-move | |
| Arm Swing-move | |
| Blinders | |
| Head-based course | |
| Controller-based course | |
| Swappable motion hand | |
| Posture | |
| Standing mode | |
| Seated mode | |
| Synthetic crouch | |
| Actual crouch | |
| Accessibility | |
| Subtitles | English |
| Adjustable issue | |
| Two arms required | |
| Actual crouch required | |
| Listening to required | |
| Adjustable participant peak | |
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