yestok: Game: Beat Hazard 2
Behaviour: Online-activation-like DRM
(single-player game) (GOG version)
The game is completely unplayable without an internet connection after installation. When you start the game after you have installed it without an internet connection it will be stuck endlessly on loading player statistics (maybe created / saved on some server) and you won't be able to get past that screen. So you are completely locked out of the actual game. This was my experience.
Reminds me of Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Steam. Without you loggin into Xbox Live you won't get past the title screen after installation.
Beat Hazard 2 maybe loggs into some other service provider for player statistics. Reviews pointed out this problem with Beat Hazard 2 somewhat similar.
Maybe someone else could replicate or confirm this problem.
Lifthrasil: Thank you for the warning. Did you report this behaviour to GOG and the devs and request that the DRM be removed? And if you did, was there any reaction?
I was curious and just checked the reviews for said game ... it seems to be worse:
"... has secret DRM. It's using SOAP to login a user and has bugs that error out if you disconnect during certain actions in the game. Either way the developer has turned to scum by putting secret backend monitoring software inside his 'drm free' game."
This was from
2020 and then there's this one:
"Requires Internet connection
I tried playing this game, but it wouldn't work at all. It tried to access the Internet (something to do with aws.amazon.com), I saw no reason why this should be necessary and blocked it. The game hung entirely. Which makes it completely useless to me.
I really wish that I payed more attention to the review that said "error out if you disconnect". A complete waste of money."
From
November 2022 !
So why this is still on GOG is a mystery to me. On the same site we can read the usual:
"No activation or online connection required to play. "
Which is nothing more than a lie. Maybe I will buy it just to refund it with the explanation that it is DRM'd and cannot be played without online connection ... just to see if that would make GOG wake up from their sleeping beauty sleep.
Edit: Just contacted the support from coldbeamgames.com and demanded them to fix the issue as the game is not GOG comform right now.