I'm enjoying this but I've never played a game where the devs tried so hard to keep you from enjoying their (in this case well written) content.
I started in 'intended' difficulty, and got a point in Day 3 with no money, no food, low health, and exhausted and infected. Ever the glutton for punishment, I died 20 times in a row desperately trying to get somewhere, anywhere, to be mocked and punished by the theater director. I'm fairly sure the nerf to stats even carry back to older saves.
Every time you turn around is a chance for the game to say 'no, fuck YOU'. The rat warren map to quest markers across town that are always just far enough away from a fast travel point (or start from an infected zone). A brutal economy. Barter. Sleep. Hunger. Thirst. Infection. Item wear. The inventory. Shop inventories. Crafting.
Russians are weird. It's like Victor Frankl made an RPG while having a case of dysentery.
Oh welp. Turned it down to 'easy' and it's still a challenge and actually fun.
In B4 'do you even lift, bro?'.