The heist genre is no stranger to the thrill game, whether it’s the nerve-wracking tension that comes with watching an intricate plan unfold or the exhilaration of being let in on a big secret nobody else knows about. While movies offer the opportunity to live the experience through their characters, the participatory nature of video games elevates immersion by having players step into the role, which Overkill Software’s Payday series, later taken over by Starbreeze Studios, successfully achieved – and more than once, to boot.
It retains the spirit of traditional gunplay, featuring a variety of firearms used to complete different objectives, although the appeal also stems from breaking out of the standard first-person shooter (FPS) mould. Killing civilians, for instance, is punished, and teammates can be released from custody (if they take too much damage and become incapacitated, or get downed several times) through a hostage trade system.
The thirst for multiplayer fun and formula twists has persisted even as game veterans boarded 10 Chambers, a Swedish studio founded by Payday franchise creator Ulf Andersson, and produced the horror co-op title, GTFO. Now, the studio’s second entry, Den of Wolves looks set to continue in the same vein, as it seeks to deliver a new techno-thriller adventure, furnishing well-trodden territory with a healthy dose of sci-fi. The ambitious undertaking may still be in the gestation stage, but a one-hour-or-so preview proved to be an effective adrenaline fix, driven by taut, high-octane shooting and an intriguing, albeit jarring, integration of spatial manipulation into its core gameplay.
Held at Unity’s office in Tokyo, Japan, the session covered two stages – an introductory section featuring stealth mechanics and a more extensive Extraction mission. The ghost from its past is felt right off the bat, with the Payday flair coming through familiar heist elements, alongside thematic parallels in the use of masks and an anti-capitalist message that speaks to the modern crowd. This time, all the action takes place in the dystopian Midway City, a corporate-controlled metropolis built on the Pacific Ocean, where players operate as criminals-for-hire specialising in industrial espionage, sabotage, and assassinations for rival corporations.
The game’s aesthetics lend themselves well to its cyberpunk setting, drenching environments in neon lights and showing signs of dilapidation. Gunplay remains relatively grounded, however, centred around basic movements like sliding, running, and crouching, and of course, firing standard weapons, from pistols to submachine guns. Before the start of a mission, squad members are tasked with selecting a primary firearm, a secondary one, and one of three gadgets (shield, proximity mine, or automated turret) that each cost a certain amount of credits.
It’s pretty run-of-the-mill fare, highlighting a missed opportunity to bring in more futuristic-looking designs, which may already be in the pipeline. Custom key binding was also excluded from the build, adopting a traditional control scheme that genre veterans will immediately take to.
Entering stealth mode shrouds players in a fuzzy glow, and it can be a little difficult to spot in dimly lit areas. Still, it shouldn’t be a cause for concern, as the lack of polish is all but expected of a work-in-progress. Fortunately, sticking to the shadows isn’t listed as a prerequisite, and sheer brute force can be employed to complete the mission.
Past the tutorial phase, strategic planning proves paramount in Den of Wolves. The Extraction mission tasks teammates with finding three randomly spawned passkeys, accessed using a drill to breach numerous vaults scattered throughout the map. Before that, though, there’s a narrative sequence to get through, revealing a surprising amount of lore and worldbuilding weaved into the world – a rarity for co-op shooters.
Then comes the next challenge. Between enemy fire and a cap that limits drill deployment to one at a time, it’s easy for stress to build up on the battlefield, and a tactical approach proves handy in alleviating the situation. For this scenario, the preparation work involved weighing the cons and pros of sticking together as a group and splitting up to cover more ground, as well as finding the shortest path to regroup.
The time taken to gather all three passkeys will vary depending on one’s luck, and vaults without them spawn ammo crates, health packs, and loot bags, which can be collected for more rewards at the end of the mission. Once done, a powerful enemy called Grimjaw appears, extending an invitation for the team to pump lead into its toughened, tanky build behind the safety of a shield and/or turret.
Taking him down requires a fair bit of effort, but common foes are no slouches, either. While generally manageable, firefights can quickly become intense if not organised or careful, as enemy hordes can blow up doors and attack from an unsupervised angle in numbers. As was the case with both Payday and GTFO, it’s important to watch each other’s six and revive downed teammates – just take note that healing won’t be immediate, as there’s no health pack to hold onto, so they will have to look for one.
Following Grimjaw’s defeat, it’s time to escape. Doing so requires players to activate the window blinds and trigger an explosion, marking a turn into intriguing territory. The unique Dive mechanics in Den of Wolves see them hacking into human neural networks and entering a surreal mental landscape, where spatial manipulation runs wild. Here, dimensions are rotated, flipped, and twisted, with no directional cues or guidance to the finish line.
Adding to the horror-adjacent experience is a countdown timer at the top of the screen, which can kick panic levels into overdrive. Navigation proved to be a mind-bending, trippy affair, delivering a refreshing change in pace, even if the change in presentation exudes a jarring sense of disconnect from the rest of the game. The challenge is considered a success as long as one teammate reaches the endpoint, although a separate interview with studio founder Ulf Andersson and audio and music director Simon Viklund revealed that more bonuses are awarded to squads with more survivors, and that multiple Dives can happen in succession.
The preview ended after three Dives, culminating in an enjoyable time dedicated to gunning down enemies the old-fashioned way, executing a heist with surgical precision, and navigating a wildly confusing yet intriguing space. Co-op shooters are a dime and a dozen, making it difficult to stand out among the crowd, but this diamond in the rough may just have a shot at claiming its ambition.
Den of Wolves has no release date, but will first release in early access when ready.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Yong Le
