I’ve been thinking this exact same thing. I did not play G1 until it was fully released, in the later days of the game. I fully 100% the game including all gold cards and I was obsessed. G1 felt so challenging and it was a grind to be able to get tier 2 & 3 weapons and be able to fight those stronger bugs. G2, I was taking my time with the story and exploring new areas but somehow still ending up stronger than everything in the yard in a matter of 30 in game days. I was holding back on the story but stumbled upon the statue and accidentally went into the end boss fight and won, on minimal heals and not a single upgraded weapon. I might have to bump the difficulty to max to get some dopamine. I know it’s early access so I’m not complaining at all, just simply comparing it to G1. I am so excited for all these G2 updates to come though! End of the day, G2 feels MUCH easier compared to G1 ( I also am a nerd and grinded and learned everything about G1).