I look back on 2.1 as the golden age for EX Primals, really. While the fights were tough, they were relevant for a long time because they offered meaningful rewards.
To be honest, Garuda was the only one with a meaningful reward because unless you could do coil it was the only way you were getting a second i90 ring.

I never felt compelled to farm Titan/Ifrit for anything other than the pony because you could just grab myth accessories and call it a day.