The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Valor Mortis does not have a verified Easy, Normal, or Hard selector. Pre-launch reports describe one fixed challenge with four optional assists—Target Lock, Combat Assist, Instant Restart, and Quick Cast—instead of a traditional difficulty menu. Because those reports predate the listed launch time, check the shipped settings menu before treating them as final. Your practical choice is whether to play the fixed mode unaided, enable control and retry assists, or wait for a later challenge option such as the planned New Game+.
Does Valor Mortis have an easy mode or difficulty settings?
The available October 2026 coverage says no. An October 8 settings guide and an October 10 FAQ both report that Valor Mortis has no selectable Easy, Normal, or Hard setting and no difficulty slider. They describe a single baseline challenge instead.
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That is still a pre-launch finding, not a permanent statement about every build. The official PlayStation Store listing gives a release time of 18:00 UTC on October 13, 2026, while the settings reports were available before that time. The final menu may match the reports, but the only reliable post-launch check is the copy installed on your platform and any official patch notes.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →If you are deciding whether to start now, open the settings menu at the title screen or pause menu and look for the four reported assists. If the labels are present, you can tailor input and retry friction without pretending that you selected an easier enemy-stat preset. If the labels are absent or named differently, follow the options shown by your current build rather than an older guide.
#1 Best Overall
- Haptic feedback - Feel physically responsive feedback to your in-game actions with dual actuators which replace traditional rumble motors. In your hands, these dynamic vibrations can simulate the feeling of everything from environments to the recoil of different weapons. .Operating temperature : 41 °F to 95 °F (5 °C to 35 °C)
- Adaptive triggers - Experience varying levels of force and tension as you interact with your in-game gear and environments. From pulling back an increasingly tight bowstring to hitting the brakes on a speeding car, feel physically connected to your on-screen actions.
- Built-in microphone and headset jack - Chat with friends online using the built-in microphone or by connecting a headset to the 3.5mm jack. Easily switch voice capture on and off at a moment’s notice with the dedicated mute button. Internet and account for PlayStation Network required.
- DualSense Controller PS5 and PC compatible. Not compatible with PS4.
- PS Remote Play requires Remote Play App connected to Wi-Fi, PS4 or PS5 console with the latest system software and compatible game. A PS4 or PS5 console with a wired connection via a LAN cable is recommended. Version 4.0 of the Remote Play App on iOS and iPadOS or version 4.1 on macOS is required for games to be playable with the controller over Bluetooth.
What “choosing difficulty” means when the challenge is fixed
With no confirmed tier selector, difficulty choice becomes a fit decision. You are choosing how much assistance you want around targeting, melee control, spell input, and failed-attempt recovery while leaving the game’s underlying encounters as the developers set them.
- Unaided fixed mode: Use the reported default controls and learn the combat as shipped.
- Control-assisted fixed mode: Turn on only the aid that addresses a specific input problem, such as target selection or melee direction.
- Retry-assisted practice: Add Instant Restart if the time between a defeat and another attempt is the main barrier.
- Later replay challenge: Consider New Game+ only after confirming that the planned mode has actually been released and understanding what carries over.
None of these choices should be described as an Easy mode unless an official release update adds a genuine difficulty tier. The reported assists change how you interact with the game or how quickly you retry; they are not evidence that enemy health, damage, aggression, or boss patterns are reduced.
The four reported assists
The two secondary reports name four options. Their exact labels and behavior should be checked in the current build, especially if a day-one update changes the menu.
| Option | What the reports say it does | What it does not establish | Who should try it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target Lock | Reported as an aiming or targeting aid that helps keep an opponent selected. | It does not prove that enemies take more damage, move more slowly, or become less aggressive. | Players who lose the intended opponent during close-range fights or find manual camera targeting distracting. |
| Combat Assist | The October 8 guide says melee swings can snap toward a target. | It is not evidence of lower enemy damage, reduced enemy health, or an easier combat preset. | Players who understand the timing but frequently whiff because their character faces slightly away. |
| Instant Restart | Reported to shorten the death-and-retry process. | It does not make the failed encounter itself easier; it only reduces downtime between attempts. | Players practicing a boss or route who want to spend more time learning and less time navigating back. |
| Quick Cast | Listed as one of the available assists; the returned reports do not document its exact input behavior. | Do not assume it changes spell power, cooldowns, resource costs, or enemy resistance. | Players for whom the normal casting sequence feels awkward, after confirming the option’s in-game description. |
Target Lock: solve target selection first
Target Lock is the logical first experiment if your problem is not reaction speed but losing track of the opponent you meant to attack. Enable it, fight a few ordinary encounters, and watch whether the camera and selected target remain useful when another enemy enters the space. If the lock causes a poor camera angle, makes switching targets cumbersome, or does not address your problem, turn it back off; there is no reason to stack every assist automatically.
Rank #2
- Bring gaming worlds to life - Feel your in-game actions and environment simulated through haptic feedback*. Experience varying force and tension at your fingertips with adaptive triggers*
- Find your voice, share your passion - Chat online through the built-in microphone. Connect a headset directly via the 3.5mm jack. Record and broadcast your epic gaming moments with the create button
- A gaming icon in your hands - Enjoy a comfortable, evolved design with an iconic layout and enhanced sticks. Hear higher-fidelity** sound effects through the built-in speaker in supported games
- Multi-device connectivity - Connect using a USB Type-C cable or Bluetooth technology and easily play on more devices including Windows PC and Mac computers.
- Elevate PC gaming with advanced features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers in a range of blockbuster PC titles.
Combat Assist: address directional misses
The October 8 report specifically describes Combat Assist as helping melee swings snap toward a target. That can reduce misses caused by facing, but it cannot replace learning when to attack, evade, or disengage. Use it when your timing is reasonable and the recurring failure is that a correctly timed swing travels past an offset target. If your issue is being hit during recovery or attacking at the wrong moment, this option may not solve it.
Instant Restart: remove repetition, not difficulty
Instant Restart is a quality-of-life choice for repeated attempts. The reported benefit is a shorter path from defeat to the next try. That matters most during deliberate practice, where a long reload or walkback interrupts your memory of the sequence. It does not change the fight you just lost, so it is appropriate even for players who want to preserve the fixed challenge.
Quick Cast: verify before relying on it
Quick Cast appears in both secondary lists, but the supplied reports do not define its exact behavior. Read the tooltip in your build and test it in a safe area before using it in a boss attempt. Confirm which button or input it changes, whether it consumes the same resources as the normal cast, and how it interacts with targeting. Do not infer any of those details from the name alone.
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A practical step-by-step way to set your challenge
- Update and launch the current build. The official store listing places launch at 18:00 UTC on October 13, 2026. Install any day-one patch offered by your platform before evaluating the menu.
- Open Settings. Check both the title-screen settings and the in-game pause menu if they expose different categories. Look for a Difficulty, Accessibility, Controls, or Gameplay section.
- Record what is actually present. If you see Easy, Normal, Hard, a slider, or additional combat modifiers, use the current menu as the authority. If you see the four reported assists but no tiers, you are working with a fixed challenge plus optional aids.
- Start with the smallest intervention. Enable one option that matches your problem. For target confusion, try Target Lock; for directional melee misses, try Combat Assist; for repeated downtime, try Instant Restart. Check Quick Cast’s description before deciding.
- Play a short sample. Test the change across several encounters rather than judging it from one mistake. Ask whether it improves control or merely masks a different issue.
- Change one setting at a time. Keeping the rest of the controls unchanged lets you identify what helped. If you switch every assist at once, you will not know which option affected your experience.
- Keep or remove the assist deliberately. There is no requirement to use an aid for the entire game. You can disable it after building confidence, or enable it temporarily for a particular encounter if the menu allows.
- Recheck after updates. A patch can rename, relocate, add, or remove options. Compare the current description with older guides instead of assuming the October reports remain exact.
Choosing an approach by the problem you are having
| Your situation | First option to test | Reason | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|---|
| You cannot keep the intended enemy selected. | Target Lock | It is the reported targeting aid. | That it lowers incoming damage or freezes an enemy. |
| Your melee timing feels right, but swings miss because of angle or spacing. | Combat Assist | The report says attacks can snap toward a target. | That it corrects mistimed attacks or makes every hit safe. |
| You understand the encounter but dread the time required to retry. | Instant Restart | It reportedly shortens the death-to-attempt loop. | That the boss becomes weaker on the next attempt. |
| You struggle with the normal spell-input sequence. | Quick Cast, after reading its tooltip | It is listed as a casting aid. | Its exact button mapping or resource behavior without checking your build. |
| You want a genuinely harder second run. | New Game+, only if released | The official Steam announcement result described a planned mode with stronger enemies and carried-over progression and loot. | That it was available at the October 13 research timestamp. |
How to tell whether an assist is helping
Use a simple observation loop instead of judging by frustration alone. Before changing a setting, identify the failure: target loss, directional miss, casting input, or retry downtime. After enabling the matching option, play enough attempts to see whether that specific failure becomes less frequent. If the original failure remains, disable the option and work on a different control or strategy rather than escalating every setting.
Rank #3
- Ultra Customizable Controls
- Mappable Back Buttons
- DualSense Wireless Controller Features Built In
- Replaceable Stick Modules and Caps
Separate execution difficulty from encounter difficulty. An assist may make a button sequence more comfortable while leaving enemy patterns and damage untouched. That distinction is useful when discussing your settings with other players: “Combat Assist helps my swings connect” is precise; “I am playing on easy” is not supported by the reported menu.
For repeated deaths, Instant Restart can improve the learning loop even when no combat aid is enabled. A shorter retry path gives you more attempts in the same session, but your notes should still focus on the attack cue, spacing, or phase transition that caused the defeat. The option removes waiting; it does not supply a new defensive mechanic.
PS5 and DualSense: an input choice, not a difficulty level
The official PlayStation Store listing confirms a PS5 version with DualSense vibration and trigger effects. Those features can influence comfort and feedback, but controller compatibility does not alter the game’s difficulty rules.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsIf you are choosing an input device, treat the DualSense features as sensory feedback preferences. You may prefer vibration or adaptive trigger effects, or you may reduce them if they distract from precise inputs. Buying or changing a controller is not a substitute for a difficulty setting, and the available information does not establish that any particular controller makes Valor Mortis easier.
Rank #4
- Bring gaming worlds to life - Feel your in-game actions and environment simulated through haptic feedback*. Experience varying force and tension at your fingertips with adaptive triggers*.
- Find your voice, share your passion - Chat online with the built-in microphone. Connect a headset directly via the 3.5mm jack. Record and broadcast your epic gaming moments with the create button.
- A gaming icon in your hands - Enjoy a comfortable, evolved design with an iconic layout and enhanced sticks. Hear higher-fidelity** sound effects through the built-in speaker in supported games.
What is known about New Game+
An official Steam announcement result described a New Game+ mode planned for later in 2026. The announcement said progression and loot would carry over and that enemies would be stronger. That makes New Game+ a potential replay challenge, not an alternative starting difficulty.
Availability was not confirmed at the October 13, 2026 research timestamp. Do not plan around it as though it were already in the menu. Once an official update announces release, check the mode’s own description for requirements, carry-over rules, and whether stronger enemies apply throughout the run or only to selected encounters.
What to verify in the shipped release
Because the settings information comes from secondary guides published before launch, verify these points directly:
- Whether a Difficulty or slider control exists anywhere in the current settings menu.
- Whether the labels Target Lock, Combat Assist, Instant Restart, and Quick Cast appear exactly as reported.
- The tooltip and control behavior for each assist, especially Quick Cast.
- Whether a day-one patch moved the assists into an Accessibility, Controls, or Gameplay submenu.
- Whether New Game+ has been released separately from the launch build.
Use the in-game text and official patch notes as your final authority. Older articles can accurately describe an earlier build and still be wrong about a later menu layout or feature.
Best Value
- Feel physically responsive feedback to your in-game actions through haptic feedback
- Experience varying levels of force and tension at your fingertips with adaptive triggers
- Chat online through the built-in microphone and connect a headset directly through the 3.5mm jack
- Switch voice capture on and off using the dedicated mute button
- Play on more devices using the USB Type-C cable or Bluetooth to connect easily to Windows PC and Mac computers, Android and iOS mobile phones as well as your PlayStation 5
Common mistakes when setting the challenge
Calling assists an easy mode
The reports describe input and convenience changes, not altered enemy statistics. Calling them “easy mode” tells readers more than the evidence supports and can create the wrong expectation about boss damage or health.
Turning on every option without identifying the problem
Stacking all four assists may feel different, but it prevents you from learning which control was limiting you. Match one option to one observed failure, then reassess.
Assuming a planned feature is available
New Game+ was described as planned for later in 2026. A plan is not a launch feature. Look for an official release note before directing a new player to it.
Using controller features as a difficulty claim
DualSense vibration and trigger effects confirm PS5 support. They do not establish easier combat, extra aim assistance, or a lower challenge setting.
Relying on an old menu screenshot
Launch patches can change labels and locations. Check the build you are actually playing, particularly if your menu does not match an October guide.
A concise decision guide
- Want the intended baseline? Leave the assists off and play the fixed mode reported by the pre-launch guides.
- Having target problems? Try Target Lock first.
- Missing because of attack direction? Test Combat Assist.
- Spending too long between attempts? Enable Instant Restart if the current menu offers it.
- Having trouble with spell input? Read and test Quick Cast’s current tooltip before committing.
- Looking for a harder replay? Wait for confirmation that New Game+ has launched; its announced design includes stronger enemies and carried-over progression and loot.
The key decision is not a number on a slider. It is whether Valor Mortis’s fixed challenge and optional control aids fit the way you want to learn and fight. Verify the live settings, change only what addresses a concrete obstacle, and describe the result as an assist configuration rather than an unsupported difficulty tier.
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