Recent reviews by Abramor

This is the best Framing Frame remake they've put out to date.

Sorry for that. Let's get to review. Border Crossing's user rating currently sits at 54% positive while claustrophobic bullet hell that is Buluc's Mansion tops with 77%. So, why I still think that this heist is better than majority of people would want you to believe? Let's see:

1) Being split into two maps is a very interesting quirk to me because it makes room for more depth in your approach. Remember how before skill profiles were added you had to have someone with light armor armor/dodge build to run Firestarter Days 2 and 3 in stealth? This heist partially recreates this lost mechanic. You can still go full-stealth or full-loud like in any other heist but you can instead opt for someone to quickly stealth USA border and then jump into blazing action in Mexico. Some might say it's unnecessary but I disagree. More depth is always good and can be potentially turned into an interesting mechanic.

2) For Loud: The overall design of both maps is quite satisfying to play on compared to some other maps (ahem, The Dragon Heist, ahem, Buluc's Mansion). I saw someone complain that it's a nightmare to play on Mexico side and even comparing it to Goat Simulator. My answer would be: well, maybe you should try using the f**king buldings to traverse the map and not stand in the centre of the battlefield?. Both buildings have enough natural and makeshift cover and even multiple levels for you to utilise while doing objectives. Enemy spawns are quite spread out for you to kite them or pick one by one or you can just wait until they all pile up in one spot and kill them all. Or die, probably. Anyway, don't try to manslaughter everyone you see, you're not here to kill, you're here to steal. Overall, loud part reminded me of Diamond Heist for some reason and I quite adore it.

3) For Stealth: It's great. It's not braindead easy like on some maps, it's not stupidly tedious due to bull-(s)hit(es) waiting elements Overkill really adores (Breakfast in Tijuana, Ukrainian Prisoner). It requires full knowledge of the map and proper planning to utilize pager and body bags allowances to the maximum. And 37.5+ millions in PAYDAY is the most possible amount you can get in one stealth heist to my knowledge (even if it takes a lot of patience and tries). One of the most enjoyable experiences I had in stealth in a long time.

4) The jumble of previously introduced heist mechanics is not an outright bad thing as a lot of people claim, it mostly depend on how they executed. And I would say Border Crossing is quite allright with it. Can't comment much on it other than I'm not complaining, and the most interesting mechanic with maps splitting I've already covered previously.

I might have left some things unsaid (like Border Crystals, I'm not really interested in an infinite grind, I just ran it quickly with bots on DS OD to get achievments) but I think I made the main point here - that this heist is not bad. It is my personal favorite out of Silk Road campaign and I wouldn't want it any other way. Give it a go next time and try to judje it as a standalone experience rather than another decorated bank heist.