Also, i did not even use the "best armor" in ultra hard newgame+, for certain optimization reasons

The first game (HZD) is actually very low on grind for an open-world game. The best armor is looked behind collectibles (but only 5 pieces scattered throught the entire game). Apart from that, generally the best equipment ist simply unlocked by progressing the story and then buying it at a trade. Honestly, the combat was such a blast to me that i never had to specifically decide to farm certain enemies...all i needed i got by just playing and trying out new weapons