GDR vol.1 is indeed harder.
For me, that's the draw in the first place. I feel that it makes for a much more rewarding experience once you finally get through all the traps and pitfalls. You'll have a true sense of accomplishment if you can complete it.
I've been through it dozens of times over the years and I still get stuck on occasion. The best advice I can give is to look at everything and try everything. Yes, there are traps that can cause instant death, but where would the suspense be if your life weren't hanging in the balance? GDR makes you think outside the normal MW box. If you pay close attention there are solutions for every trap or puzzle. You may have to backtrack here and there to activate different things to progress to the next area.
And in the end, you *are* fighting a god. How easy can that be?
KF