Den of Wolves Preview: Heist Game Revolutionizes Co-op Crime

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10 Chambers, a studio made up of veterans from the popular “Payday” series, created the game “Den of Wolves“. This team formed with the ambition to develop their dream project. Consequently, “Den of Wolves” is not just another heist game; it’s a groundbreaking one within its genre. The enthusiasm from the development team has led to innovative design elements that significantly reduce common challenges found in multiplayer heist games like this. In fact, the creators explicitly mentioned that they wanted “Den of Wolves” to offer a seamless and user-friendly heist gaming experience. From my playtime with the game, it appears they have largely succeeded in meeting this goal.

For someone like me who rarely plays heist games due to certain genre annoyances, I believe I was the ideal audience for “Den of Wolves“. The game is straightforward to start playing, and the execution of the heist plan is seamless, thanks to an intelligent design decision. Additionally, a branching narrative system significantly enhances its longevity and replayability. Despite only having a 30-minute hands-on experience with a streamlined tutorial heist and one real one, I got a good sense of what “Den of Wolves” offers, and I see potential beyond the limited scope of my preview time.

Den of Wolves Is a Careful Risk Reward Balance

In Den of Wolves, set a century ahead, advancements in technology have given birth to neural networks, mind-entering abilities, and an array of AI-enhanced gadgets for corporate espionage teams. One notable advantage is evident during heists: the entire squad remains undetected until the first shot is fired, enabling us to carry out stealth attacks, survey our targets, and prepare as much as possible before the inevitable turmoil. During this initial stealth phase, our invisibility can be reactivated when things settle down, causing tension to rise and fall in the early stages of the heist.

Following our covert entrance into the vault, an alarm was triggered, turning the situation chaotic with gunfire erupting everywhere. Each player could shoulder a loot sack from the vault and leave it at the extraction point, all while considering the dangers involved in attempting to retrieve more bags. However, against our better instincts, we opted to do just that, allowing our desire for wealth to lead us into a seemingly impossible skirmish with numerous guards, including heavily armored elites, resulting in the complete elimination of our team, which included members from 10 Chambers. The tutorial level itself warns about the potential consequences of excess greed within the game Den of Wolves.

Den of Wolves Solves the Genre’s Planning Problem

As we approach the second mission, the planning phase is crucial and what makes Den of Wolves stand out in this genre. Unlike games such as Payday, where not every player may agree on the plan, in Den of Wolves, decisions made during the pre-heist planning phase actually matter. For instance, if we decide to enter through a window, the back door option will automatically be closed off. This enhances teamwork significantly and prevents a new recruit from jeopardizing the mission. Interestingly, these temporary team members, or “hired guns,” are unable to interact with objectives, reducing the risk of setting off alarms or prematurely evacuating.

After setting our strategy, we move on to the phase where each player gets to pick their equipment, or loadout. During the initial training session, I found a Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) useful, but it felt clumsy in the intense firefights and confined spaces of the vault, exposing us as easy targets. Conversely, I observed that we were vulnerable during certain engagements. For this mission, I selected an assault rifle, a heavy machine gun, and a tool to set up one-way energy barriers which could be fired through by my teammates and me. Another player opted for a similar loadout, as we intended to execute the heist in teams of two. Our other partners went with landmines, shotguns, and pistols for close quarters combat. It’s essential to choose a loadout that matches the task at hand and complements our collective abilities.

Den of Wolves Heists Are an Unfolding Player-Driven Narrative

The storyline for this heist begins when our team discreetly delivered an item into a secret hideout belonging to criminals. Each situation can evolve based on decisions made during past heists, creating an ongoing plot with multiple jobs shaping the narrative. There are strategic gameplay aspects too: if we anticipate a combat-intensive job ahead, we could help one faction in a previous job to acquire a combat drone for assistance, although this action might negatively impact our relationship with another faction later on. The sequence of heists played in different orders will be essential for the game’s replay value, as each route offers unique advantages, drawbacks, story developments, and rewards.

The robbery occurred within a sprawling, roughly circular design of vaults spread across two stories, with an expansive central void enclosed by stairways and railings in a building. To access our target in the center, we had to find three keys hidden in various vaults on both floors. So, our strategy was to enter through the second floor, leap directly to the first floor (since there’s no fall damage in Den of Wolves), and then divide into teams that would systematically search each vault, moving either clockwise or counterclockwise from floor to floor.

One team member would place a drill on the safe, while the other would protect using their deployable barriers and heavy weaponry. Sometimes, drills could break down and require repair, so it’s crucial for players to stay vigilant during these moments. We’d proceed from one safe to another, experiencing the thrill of skilled burglars, until we had secured all the keys and some loot sacks. Almost as soon as we started this heist, alarms began blaring, which led to occasional skirmishes that kept us on our toes and made us scour for every ammunition box we found.

Den of Wolves’ Dives Are an Intriguing Change of Pace

Our goal was to access a person’s mind using a neural network, and we referred to this process as a “dive,” as described in the series “Den of Wolves.” These dives serve as unique, suspenseful interludes within a person’s thoughts. During one such dive, we traversed a parkour dreamscape that allowed us to run up walls vertically and make incredible leaps defying gravity. This particular dive lasted approximately 30 seconds, and success was achieved if even one player reached the end—a thoughtful design choice for players less skilled in platforming. It was also mentioned that these dives could encompass various other scenarios, such as combat-focused ones.

We ascended upstairs to safeguard the extraction spot, as our hacker accompanied us for more rapid platform jumps. These swiftly happen in real life, but it’s wise to seek cover when the jump countdown starts, since it might be confusing to re-enter the fray. After warding off ruthless groups of adversaries, a formidable boss, and occasionally reviving fallen teammates who managed to reach safety, we successfully extracted with approximately 25 loot bags—a fantastic collection.

Through its hired gun multiplayer setup, collaborative planning phase, and intricate branching storyline structure, the game “Den of Wolves” has remarkably reduced the barriers in multiplayer heist games, offering a rich narrative experience comparable to that of a solo, story-driven title. As someone who wasn’t particularly enamored with this genre previously, my time spent playing “Den of Wolves” has sparked genuine enthusiasm within me for the cooperative criminal lifestyle for the first time.

Game Rant was provided travel and lodging for the purpose of this preview.

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2025-04-01 19:04