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Hitman: Absolution will certainly be bringing players back to the stealthy and violent gameplay they are used to. The title will also come with five different difficulty settings for players of all styles and skill levels.
The difficulty settings will go from easy to an extremely challenging purist mode which provides absolutely no user interface.
The difficulty settings will vary the gameplay experience in many different ways allowing for both a customized play-through as well as a high level of replay-ability.
Everything from the newly introduced “instinct” ability to the amount of enemies and their AI will vary with the difficulty settings. In a game such as Hitman something as simple as the difficulty settings could be seriously influential in the overall accessibility of the title.
Ranging from easy to purist, Agent 47 will go from being nearly unstoppable whether by “cunning or brute force” to a point where evading “enemies will be difficult and you must strike with flawless timing.” In purist mode, IO Interactive says that it is for a true perfectionist suggesting that a player must know everything about the game and each mission to even have a chance to succeed. The game’s developer says that even when “You know every rule, every detail, and all environments by heart,” you will still die. Purist mode features no help at all including no instinct as well as absolutely no on-screen HUD or interface. Not to mention that purist and Expert settings will put 47 up against the “Maximum number of enemies with fastest reaction”

According to GT each difficulty setting was described by IO in a preview build:
Enhanced: Easy
Supreme training and a physique enhanced beyond ordinary human capacity mean that your enemies are no match for you. By cunning or by brute force, you are unstoppable.
Players can activate additional checkpoints
Instinct regenerates
Instinct will provide hints
Enemies react more slowly than normal
Enhanced: Medium
You can rely on Agent 47′s superior training and instinct. Remaining completely unnoticed can be a challenge, but you can always rely on your guns to get you out of trouble.
Players can activate additional checkpoints
Instinct does not regenerate
Instinct will provide hints
Normal enemy presence with normal reaction times
Professional: Hard
You like a challenge and your enemies will provide you with just that. They will be more numerous and with faster reactions. Evading your enemies will be difficult and you must strike with flawless timing.
Players can activate additional checkpoints
Insting depletes when used and does not regenerate
No instinct hints
Additional enemies with improved reaction time
Professional: Expert
You fight for every inch of progress, often without firing a single bullet. You don’t rely on any help and accept trying many times before reaching your target…and perfection.
No player-activated checkpoints
Instinct depletes when used and does not regenerate
No instinct hints
Maximum number of enemies with fastest reaction
Professional: Purist
This is a challenge for a true perfectionist. You know every rule, every detail, and all environments by heart. Even then you will die trying.
No Help
No guides
No Interface
Only a crosshair
Hitman: Absolution hits retail late next month on November 20. Until then pre orders will net you the Sniper Challenge which is already playable.
Craig Hunter – who has written 1177 posts on The Jace Hall Show.
Craig Hunter is a main contributor for the Jace Hall Show and has been an avid gamer for over 15 years. He also freelances for a number of websites and magazines covering mobile products and emerging technologies.

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