I find the game still quite challenging but I've got further along than I did on the first attempts. Without a doubt, it's a skill issue that's preventing me from winning :D Parrying attacks in a timed window is one of my weakest skills in BotW.
I really enjoy the feel of the world, the atmosphere from the artwork and audio. The UI is excellent. The gameplay is fun and engaging despite the difficulty level. I'm pretty sure that if you expanded this into a bigger game with opportunities to practice some of the skills with less pressure and wider timed windows, I would be totally hooked.