Hitman: Absolution's Contracts mode was supposed to be locked off behind a single-use code included with new copies, but no longer. All and sundry will be able to challenge their chums, no code required, to match their feats of killing men in a way of their choosing.

"We'd actually planned to have this mode accessible via a code in the game's box, but we really want to make it available to anybody that plays the game – so we want to take a new approach," publisher Square Enix said on the official Absolution blog on Friday.

"If you're in North America you'll see the mode automatically appear in the game menu. If you're elsewhere, you can redeem the code inside the box, or you can simply select the BUY CONTRACTS PASS option. From there, head to the store where CONTRACTS will be free to access."

The fact that codes appear in certain regions shows this was clearly a last-minute decision, but whatever the cause, it is a pleasant change.

Hitman: Absolution arrives for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on Tuesday. Our Andrew was certainly pleased with IO's murder simulator in his review, though critical opinions are divided.