That is my recollection as well. Also I remember Psycho Mantis would make some comments about the content of your memory card before the fight.
Another favorite of mine is The End in MGS3: Snake Eater, he is a sniper hiding in the woods and it takes like an hour of game time to beat him down. I seem to recall if you save during the fight and change the date forward a few years on your PS3, when you reload he has died of old age waiting for you to come back.
It was the same for me, eventually I uncovered too many scenes at once so I was constantly going over the same scenes without progressing, there were too many possibilities and even guessing failed. Perhaps I should just start over.
I was in a similar boat (heh!) with Outer Wilds, eventually I stopped progressing and gave up, the repetition without discovery wasn’t fun anymore.
It just makes me feel like I am too stupid for these games? And that’s no fun.