I was only able to get through the first zone yesterday because I played the beta earlier this year that showed the entire first area. I think they absolutely listened to feedback and tuned some enemies up and down.
The dodging took a little bit to get used to, but once you have a feel for it, it’s great. I honestly felt the same way about bloodborne dodging the first time I played it - it was just a little different, and I needed new muscle memory. Also FYI, I looked up the weight thresholds, and 60% is when you start moving slower.