The four difficulty settings
| Mode | Meant for | Saving | Combat and resources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | Players new to survival horror, or who want the story | Most forgiving | The story “without significant resistance” |
| Normal | The intended first playthrough | Autosave on | Balanced |
| Hard | Survival horror veterans | Autosave off; fewer save locations | Challenging combat |
| Hellraiser | A punishing second run | Each save costs a limited Save Token | Extremely difficult combat, many enemies, scarce resources; new game only |
Which difficulty should you choose?
- Normal for a first playthrough. It is the only mode above Easy that keeps autosave, which several trophy and ending tricks rely on.
- Easy if you mainly want the story; trophies do not require more.
- Hard if you want tension and are disciplined about manual saves.
- Hellraiser for a second run. It plays like a stealth game where every save has to be earned.
Can you change difficulty later?
GameTrek reports that you can switch between Easy, Normal and Hard at any point. Hellraiser is the exception: you can only pick it when starting a new game, and AllThingsHow confirms that lock. If Normal turns out too hard or too easy, lower or raise it from the settings rather than restarting.
What losing autosave means for trophies and endings
Several standard tips assume autosave, which Hard and Hellraiser do not have:
- Both endings in one run normally means reloading the autosave before the final choice.
- The 69 Hellchains kills are usually farmed by reloading the autosave in the tutorial room.
- Trickshot retries reload the autosave before the cultist rush.
On Hard, make a manual save at each of those points instead. On Hellraiser, budget a Save Token for them, or earn those trophies on a Normal run. Missable trophies are identical on every mode; see the trophy guide.
Hellraiser mode and Save Tokens
- Every save costs one Save Token. AllThingsHow found a single token in the opening cult compound, which has three save points.
- Dying sends you back to your last save, and you lose everything picked up since.
- Ammunition is very scarce, so stealth takedowns and avoiding fights matter more than on any other mode.
- Spend tokens before bosses, chases and long areas, not after every room.
Settings that help on any difficulty
| Option | Values | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Aim Assist | Default, Off, Strong | Gameplay › Player Settings |
| Death Hints | On, Off | Gameplay › Game Settings |
| Object Highlight and Interact Indicators | On, Off | Interface › General Settings |
| Boss Health Bar | On, Off | Interface › HUD Advanced Settings |
Difficulty can also change what you find: GamesRadar+ lists cabinet contents for Normal and notes they differ on other modes.
Sources & review scope
Checked on 10 October 2026. Official announcements and store listings establish the facts identified above; third-party guides and player reports are named where they are the only source. Video and text sources are credited below; platform-specific claims retain their original scope.