Good news! Hitman: Game Of The Year Edition is now on GOG and 70% off. Bad news! The game requires an internet connection for so many singleplayer features that customers on the DRM-free digital store are real mad about it.
At the top of Hitman’s GOG store page, a note states that an “Internet connection is required to access Escalation missions, Elusive Targets or user-created Contracts. Story and bonus missions can be played offline.” Further down the page, a slew of 1/5 star reviews point out that an internet is also required for features such as “unlocking weapons, items, outfits, starting locations and more.”
GOG’s main selling-point as a store is that it offers games in a DRM-free form. If you are opposed to limitations being placed upon software you’ve legally bought, or worry about long-term ownership in the event of services shuttering, or if you just want to be able to play games without needing an internet connection, then DRM-free is an appealing option.
The issue is that an increasing number of technically “DRM-free” games require an internet connection for all kinds of non-obvious features. Hitman among them.
The reviews on GOG are alternately cross at Hitman developers IO Interactive for not making better offline options, and cross at GOG for putting Hitman on their supposedly DRM-free store.
“The only worthwhile AAA stealth game in years (so long as you disable hints and X-ray vision) but over five years later, IO still refuse to implement a proper offline mode so bare minimum, you don’t need to be online to unlock new equipment, starting locations, outfits, etc.,” writes user HeavilyAugmented. “In other words, playing the game offline means you never unlock new content and you’ll have to start with a default loadout of a regular suit and silenced pistol always.”
Writing on the store’s forum, GOG representative ‘chandra’ responded to a thread about the complaints:
Thank you for bringing this topic to our attention. We’re looking into it and will be updating you in the coming weeks. In case you have purchased HITMAN and are not satisfied with the released version, you can use your right to refund the game. At the same time, while we’re open for meritful discussion and feedback, we will not tolerate review bombing and will be removing posts that do not follow our review guidelines.
A later post clarified that GOG would only remove reviews that do not meet their “review guidelines“.
Hitman isn’t the first game to run afoul of GOG’s audience. User Lifthrasil compiled a list last year of singleplayer games on GOG that the community considers to have DRM, including Cyberpunk 2077, Battletech, Northgard and many more.
It’s also worth considering that all of Hitman 1 is included in updated form alongside Hitman 2 within the wonderful Hitman 3 – although Hitman 3 isn’t on GOG yet.
