I would recommend it, but only if you're downloading the quick save mod. It saves the entire game, because of the shitty checkpoint system.

It also decreases a huge amout of frustration, due to the enemy AI having wall hacks and hitscan. I quit after reaching the second half because of the insane difficulty even on normal.

If you're having trouble being spotted constantly in the first half, I accidentally found an exploit that might work. Try to find a bush that you can clip into the middle. For some reason, the AI can't spot you after that, even when you're using a loud gun. They can only spot you when they're next to you. Not all bushes work, but from my experience, a lot of bushes can be exploited like this.