I dunno about the difficulty. I'm doing all right. Sure, it took a bit of learning, but even on my first play through, I didn't die of starvation or dehydration. It's a mad dash for resources right off the bat, yeah, but after the first ten minutes, it's really only about expanding your raft more and making yourself more comfortable. It takes some getting used to, but I don't think it's all that bad. Get everything you can early on, and craft what you need as soon as you have the resources (water purifier first, can second, fishing rod third, cooking station fourth).