Code Veronica X is no harder than Code Veronia.

Yes you always start out with those items in RE2 arranged.

Code Veronica is wrongly considered the hardest in the series. The reason it is wrongly considered the hardest is because everyone is a pussy and plays the other ones on easy. Code Veronica has no such option. There is only normal. I could claim the opposite and say it is the easiest because there is no hard mode like the other ones.