I finished my first run through the game with Leon, gonna start the Claire run this evening. I didn't know anything about this remake going in and I was definitely surprised by how challenging I found it even on standard. The last part of the station, where Mr. X is a constant threat, was pretty stressful. They made zombies such bullet sponges that running past is sometimes the only option. I know that's how you should play by default, but in the police station it's reassuring to clear rooms you have to pass multiple times, especially if you're still learning the layout. Also this is the first RE game I remember where the zombies can take this much heat before going down, at least with the handgun. The chance for a crit on headshot was also pretty low, only with the shotty I got a good chance of taking one out immediately.
I see you get an unbreakable knife if you find all the raccoons and that would make it more tempting to try speeding through the game. I'll finish the Claire run and then see if I want to spend more time with it. This seems like a very satisfying plat to get, but it's also pretty time-consuming.