Payday 3’s biggest gameplay additions want you to be cruel to civilians and hostages

The reveal of the game payday 3 during Xbox Showcase was definitely one of the biggest surprises of the show. Payday is a popular series, particularly on PC, but it doesn’t usually get the spotlight in the mainstream.

While the trailer was well put together, it felt like, well, a new payday. It was hard to appreciate the nuances of what we’re seeing, aside from the updated visuals and higher production quality compared to Payday 2, of course.

Developer Starbreeze apparently agrees, because it’s putting together a series of developer diaries to try to highlight the how’s and why’s, and explain why this is the most advanced payday yet. The first episode reveals some exciting gameplay updates for the heist game.

They all have to do with the interaction between robbers and civilians. For starters, the game no longer runs in a binary state of stealth and noise. If you’re spotted trying to sneak around at first, things won’t necessarily escalate right away.

There is now a search phase where the security guards will start looking for you. when the cops do arrives, you will not immediately receive the full power of the NYPD. Instead, lifeguards show up to try and de-escalate the tension. This is where the hostages come in.

The civilians you’ve taken hostage can now be traded, either to buy time for your team to get the job done before the big guys show up, or to gain more resources in the mission. Even more cheeky, he can use civilians as human shields, presumably to force the cops shooting at him to hesitate and make it easier to slip away.

Although the story has moved to New York City, the original gang has returned. More members will join after launch, and you can expect many collaborations to come. Payday 2 received over 30 reviews, but Starbreeze wants to pick authentic crossovers that fit the world.

Payday 3 is a day one Game Pass game for PC and Xbox Series X/S. It will also be coming to PS5 on the same day, September 21.