PAYDAY™ The Heist: Wolfpack DLC

Developer: OVERKILL Software | Publisher: Daybreak Game Company | Release Date: 2012 | Genre: DLC / First Person Shooter / Co-op | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

It’s no secret that we quite enjoyed our time with Payday: The Heist, despite it not being the most polished or fair game on the market. The co-op gameplay had us hooked and the seven heists on offer provided plenty of variety along with some nice replay value. Wolfpack is the first, and only, downloadable content pack for the game, so let’s take a look whether or not it is worth it.

Payday had a number of free updates that not only improved the game in a number of ways, but also added additional content, such as new masks and even a brand new level. Wolfpack is not free, but it does have a lot to offer Payday veterans who are yearning for a bigger challenge and some fresh heists. Unfortunately, Wolfpack only adds two more heists to the game, but both of them are very unique. The first is “Counterfeit”, which is a secret operation in the Sunshine State where your crew dress up as workers in order to infiltrate a neighborhood where counterfeit money is being printed. The heist is fairly straightforward, but since it is set in a sunny neighborhood, there’s not a lot of space to run and hide when the cops inevitably gatecrash the party. However, it is the second new heist, Undercover, which is our favorite. Here the gang sets up shop in an abandoned apartment complex in order to kidnap someone working for the IRS and force him to transfer some money. It’s an elaborate setup that involves lifting his limousine to the roof of the building, cutting him out of it and then hacking the server that he is carrying on him. It’s an extremely tough mission thanks to the narrow hallways and stairwells of the building as well as the multitude of snipers who camp out on nearby buildings. Players are given the opportunity to scavenge wood, which can be used to board up windows and vents, but completing the mission unscathed requires plenty of luck and skill.

In addition to the two brand new heists, Wolfpack also adds a whole new class to the game. It is called the technician and along with new weapons, such as the STRYK full auto pistol, AK and GL40 grenade launcher, this class also has some new tricks up their sleeve. The most exciting one is the sentry gun, which is just as cool as it sounds. Sentry guns don’t have unlimited armor or bullets, but setting them up in a strategic spot can be a life-saver.

The technician class also comes with the tool kit player upgrade, so that they can interact faster with all those pesky mission objects in the game. Of course, along with the new specialty there is also a new level cap, so players can increase their reputation all the way up to 193 now.

Although the Wolfpack DLC is not going to sway the opinion of players who didn’t like the base game, it is a great addition for existing fans. The two new heists offer a lot of fun and they are different enough from the ones that are already in the game. Even better, if you own the DLC you can invite your friends to play with you on them even if they do not own the DLC themselves. The Wolfpack DLC also adds six new challenging Steam achievements to the game, but you are really going to have to prove your mettle in order to earn them.

All things considered, the Wolfpack DLC is a must-have if you have already sunk a lot of hours into the game and want to keep going. It’s a pity that it only features two new heists as we would have loved to see more, but both Undercover and Counterfeit fits in nicely with the existing heists. The new technician specialty is also pretty cool, especially the turret. Unfortunately, there are no new weapons or upgrades for the existing classes, so if you don’t care much for the technician specialty, then you can stick to playing with friends who own the DLC and don’t mind inviting you to the new heists. For the rest, the game still looks and plays exactly like it always has, so check out our review to find out what to expect if you are a newcomer to the world of Payday: The Heist.