Stress and Teamwork Instead of Fun Action: What We Know About Den of Wolves

PC Gamer got hands-on with the cyberpunk version of Payday and found it to be far more hardcore than expected.

The gameplay is deliberately slow-paced—levels play out like "mini GTA Online heists", where a single mistake can doom the entire mission.

Players spend most of their time not shooting, but coordinating with their team: planning routes, synchronizing actions like opening doors, hiding bodies, and other operations. Den of Wolves' mechanics take inspiration from classics like System Shock and Deus Ex—enemies react to noise, allowing for stealth approaches, distractions, and other tactical maneuvers.

Constant tension is a key feature of the gameplay. There are moments when a character simply stands still, watching their health bar rapidly deplete while waiting for a teammate to complete their task. The game has no universal "winning" builds—effectiveness depends entirely on role choice and proper task distribution.

Unfortunately, in the early version, rifles feel weak, SMGs lack impact, and assault weapons suffer from poor accuracy. While the game emphasizes teamwork over gunplay, these issues stand out.

Particular praise goes to the atmospheric setting and powerful soundtrack by Simon Viklund—composer of the first two Payday games and GTFO.

The outlet concluded that if the developers refine the combat system, the project has every chance to establish itself among hardcore heist simulators.

Main image: gtfothegame.com