E3 2013: Payday 2’s Civilians Suffer from Stockholm Syndrome

PayDay 2 Screenshot 01

OVERKILL showed off their latest work with Paday 2 and it sure is shaping up to be one of this year’s best shooters. Heists have never been more personal as you can now change your armor type (or just wear a suit), attach weapon modifications, custom craft your own mask out of countless materials and patters and much more. But there is one new aspect of Payday 2 that really stuck out: the developers have created civilians that may suffer from Stockholm Syndrome.

What is Stockholm Syndrome? For those that don’t know, it is the psychological phenomenon which sees hostages (typically) siding with their captors either through defense or affection. OVERKILL worked in a new skill tree called Mastermind, which is for those looking to be the leader of the pack. One of the “perks” you can gain in this skill tree grants a chance at a nearby civilian reviving you if they are called upon. It is an odd but rewarding bonus. Suddenly, zip tying the hands of every innocent seems counterproductive. We’ll get to check out this feature further as we near the game’s August release date.