Hitman Is Being Review-Bombed on GOG for Having Online DRM

The Hitman series has been a hit with PC gamers for years, but GOG is now censoring the latest installment of the franchise. This isn’t just a case of someone not liking a game or being angry about DRM, it’s an example of how online reviews are becoming more and more important to consumers.

The ai: the somnium files controversy is a recent event that has been going on for a while. This event has caused Hitman to be review-bombed on GOG.com, and it has also caused a lot of controversy.

Hitman-Is-Being-Review-Bombed-on-GOG-for-Having-Online-DRM Image courtesy of IO Interactive

Hitman: Game of the Year Edition was released on GOG this week, but it has already received a one-star review when early adopters discovered the game’s online DRM. This is clearly a big no-no for a store that prides itself on selling PC games that are DRM-free. While review-bombing may be considered juvenile, GOG’s Hitman listing specifically says that the game is “DRM FREE” and requires no activation or internet connection to play. Escalation missions, Elusive Targets, and user-created Contracts are all said to need an internet connection, thus this seems to be misleading advertising.

The highest upvoted review says, “This game includes internet DRM.” “You may play the game with the default settings, but key features, such as unlocking weapons, goods, costumes, beginning places, and more, are only available online. This is not made explicit on the GOG website, and it is very misleading.”

“The only decent AAA stealth game in years (as long as you deactivate clues and X-ray vision), but IO still refuses to add a true offline option so, at the very least, you don’t need to be online to acquire new equipment, starting places, costumes, and so on,” writes another. “In other words, if you play the game offline, you’ll never acquire new content and will always start with the default loadout of a normal suit and silent pistol.”

“This system was nasty enough on its own, but the fact that it’s still available years later and on goddamn GOG of all places demonstrates how completely lazy IO has become. “Fix your shit,” says the narrator.

While some of the complaints from disgruntled Hitman players seem to be justified, GOG has issued a statement stating that it will not condone review bombing and will take appropriate action (i.e., deleting posts). Owners who feel they have been deceived will get a refund from the merchant.

Thank you for drawing our attention to this issue. We’re looking into it right now and will keep you updated in the following weeks. If you bought HITMAN and are dissatisfied with the current edition, you have the option to request a refund. While we welcome thoughtful debate and input, we will not condone review bombing and will remove entries that do not adhere to our review standards.

All of the missions and locations from the first season of Hitman are included in Hitman: Game of the Year Edition, as well as a “Patient Zero” extra campaign, three new Escalation Contracts, three new costumes, and three new weapons. The PC version of Hitman 3 is still restricted to the Epic Games Store, although it should be available on Steam and other platforms by Q1 2023.

GOG is the source of this information.