I've made it to Mike's Garden and feel safe to say that this quest is indeed unlike any other I have played before.
Though no push over, when it comes to bosses and combat, I wouldn't call this a challenge quest. The puzzles and navigation are pretty easy, so I wouldn't call it a puzzle quest. While there are tons of instant-death traps and the quest consistently trolls the player, there are also very clear and consistent rules to avoid most of these unfair elements.
If anything, I guess this is an unusual Metroidvania with some decent story-driven execution. I've wanted to rage-quit several time already, especially while trying to get through the raft screens prior to the second checkpoint (getting the timing down to steer around the instant-death tiles was a real bitch); but yet I feel compelled to keep coming back to play.
Edited by Marv Albert, 13 August 2019 - 01:08 PM.