The question of difficulty came to mind while playing Metaphor. It was pretty challenging early on when resources were very limited and I was also learning the gameplay systems, but I’m starting to feel powerful now mid-game (while still being challenged a bit). That’s where I like to end up, typically. It has a nice ludonarrative feel for the games that typically have you killing god.
What do you like?
Having to learn the trick during the battle or based on other cues is great. Having to know the trick before you start the battle is lame.
But you’re right, the rest of the tower is well-designed (aside from the lack of anywhere to save the game). It was a great way to mix things up!