In a recent developer diary, Payday 3 developer Starbreeze Studios revealed the different difficulty options in the co-op heist shooter. Normal mode is for those getting into the game for the first time, while Overkill is “brutal” and “unfair.” It also provided new details on armor and how it works. Check it out below.
Armor (along with other things) affects your weight, making you faster or slower. It’s made of shards, and as you take damage, it breaks down. Hang back, and it’ll recuperate, but if it goes away, it’s gone until you use an Armor Bag (which works like Payday 2’s Medic Bag). There is no health regen, so armor is your best bet for protection.
That is until you fight enemies who can pierce armor. Enemies fall into three categories. The SWAT and Heavy SWAT units are common. The uncommon types include the Shield and Sniper, and then you have Specials like the Bulldozer. The dozer has new moves, like the bull rush, to tackle and immobilize a player. Get too close, and he’ll kick you.
There are also new enemies like the Nader, who uses gas grenades (which cause damage over time to health and disable sprinting) and flashbangs. The Zapper uses a stun, and while you can fight back, failing to do will result in complete immobilization. Cloakers sport two nightstick bracers and can melt deployable items.
Regular SWAT members will also move behind Shield units and shoot the player from cover. Of course, players can specialize in dealing with different threats. If you want to create a build that quickly dispatches dozers, go for it, but your teammates need to be able to handle other threats.
Payday 3 is out on September 21st for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.