Source Digital Spy Payday 2 has been revealed by developer Overkill Software. The Payday: The Heist sequel will boast over 30 heist situations compared to the handful seen in the original, and will play out over a number of phases. Through the new Crimenet system, players will accept missions from contacts on a city-wide map screen. Some objectives such as stealing from a convenience store will be a single phase, while others will play out over four or five stages. Phases will allow the spoils from each to have an impact on the success of the subsequent mission. Phases have been introduced to help break up objectives into chunks, add diverse locations and to allow players to enjoy smaller chunks of the game as opposed to lengthy half-hour missions. Each contact on the Crimenet map will have a personality that reflects the mission type, including a corrupt politician and an east European gangster. Missions will once again have randomised elements, such as the appearance and position of innocent bystanders, police vehicles, security personal and metal detectors with every attempt. Rare missions will also appear on the map, based on random chance as well as your current experience level, and are said to be perfect for multiplayer so other users can experience hard-to-find content. "You can invite friends into missions," composer and sound designer Simon Viklund told Digital Spy. "[For example] you can invite your four star friends. They would never get a six star mission, or dare to take on a six star mission, but because they play with you they can dare to do it, because you have the skills and weapons to support them." Tools such as hacking devices are no longer mission specific, allowing the player to bring in their own equipment into a mission to customise their heist. Players can also invest in assets for that specific mission, such as security codes, security camera locations and a helicopter getaway, to help them succeed. Money obtained from missions can now be spent on the black market, crafting weapons as well as customisable masks, armour and suit types. Four skill types will also be available - the armour-clad Enforcer, the hacking-focused Technician, tactical Mastermind and stealthy Ghost - each one complete with their own set of skills that work alongside other class types. Finally, the Crimenet service will also allow new loot, masks, weapon types and mods to appear in-game at a moment's notice post-release. It was also said that updates between console and PC versions won't be nearly as staggered as they were with the original game. "The DLC plan is much more in place now, even before the release of the base game," said Viklund. "That'll work a lot better." The original Payday: The Heist launched in late 2011 on PS3 and PC, and featured a tie-in level with Valve's Left 4 Dead. Payday 2 will be available on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC later this year. All new images are below.
