I understand your considerations, but I think that every player wants to do every game's area and battle. I have the sensation as if Jeff at the game's end says : ..and now stop to your pleasure, here begins your suffering (and you have always the same party at the same game's difficulty and yes you expect an harder life at the end, but not so much ).
Yes you can reduce the difficulty, but to do this is a bad victory.
This is only my opinion and I like Jeff's games that I consider the best RPG.