Payday 3 Chapter 1 is here. The first DLC heist for the controversial co-op shooter introduces players to Syntax Error, but its high price compared to the add-on missions for the previous game in the series is causing a blowback from the game’s community, with the new DLC pack currently holding a ‘mixed’ Steam user rating, much like that of the base game.
The Payday 3 Syntax Error heist is all about big data. “Gone are the days of ‘cash is king,’” developer Starbreeze Studios says on its store page for the new Payday 3 DLC. “Today, it’s all about those servers and, more specifically, whatever is on them.” As such, this next mission for the FPS game sees you taking on data security experts Scry Digital, as you attempt to circumnavigate “unhackable servers” with a good old smash and grab on the server racks themselves.
Along with the heist, you’ll also get a Syntax Error weapon pack (comprising three new Payday 3 weapons) and a tailor pack of new cosmetics. Players with the gold or silver editions of the game will get access to all of this as part of their respective season passes, but if you passed up on those options then expect to pay $17.99 / £14.99 for the Payday 3 Chapter 1 Syntax Error bundle.
This price point, which is almost half the cost of the base game ($39.99 / £34.99), has caused much consternation among the game’s community. If you aren’t interested in the other content, you can buy the Syntax Error heist separately for $9.99 / £7.99, although this is still a notable jump up from the cost of buying Payday 2 DLC heists individually (typically $6.99 / £5.99).
Given the already lukewarm Payday 3 reception, which has seen many players return to its predecessor while they await further updates, numerous reviews express upset over the paid add-ons, for a game they still feel is missing features. “I can’t recommend this because of the price,” one Steam reviewer says, “The content is okay, it’s not bad at all, but probably deserved the price of a Payday 2 DLC.” Others are harsher: one simply states, “Underwhelming and overpriced.”
If you’re looking for other ways to mix up your next round of heists, the best Payday 3 mods are the way to go. We’ve got the lowdown on how to get Payday 3 C-Stacks for that high-value endgame gear as well.
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