Starts fairly easy, but as you go on it definitely gets more difficult, plus im playing on Normal, so id imagine Hard would give you guys enough of a challenge, its really all about timing though. An at first i was worried playing the prologue that the combat was going to be bare bones like that, but once you finish the prologue an the real game starts, theres so many different techniques an things you can learn, which adds alot of variet to the combat, riding a hose then jumping off it to assassinate ppl is so badass, can also throw multiple kunai, shit is sick, 4 different sword styles which all have there own pros an cons, like the water style is great against Shielded opponents, you also have arrows, paper bombs, which help mix it up, im enjoying the combat man, i was expecting this game to score low 7's but this shit definitely has to be mid 80s or better man.
Story is good, playing in Japanese, you have to go around the island protecting an freeing ppl from the Enemy, the quest an stories you can feel the characters anguish over certain events that happens, plus they have these quest called mythical tales, basically there really cool missions of Legend Stories, for example there was one about the fastest samurai in the land that mastered some insanely fast sword technique, i wont get into detail as to not spoil it but man i loved that mission, shit was so epic, the Mythical missions normally gives you new techniques or cool armor an shit.
https://www.resetera.com/threads/playstation-studios-ot11-got-woke-records-broke.241384/post-39535927