Thanks for playing! For point number 1, the game is mostly controlled the way it's intended to as it's more of a mech simulator than an FPS. Think of it like controlling a walking tank where the torso is acting like the turret. There is a direction indicator in the bottom center of the screen but it's a bit unclear on how it works.
For point number 2 the mouse aim just straight does not work like intended due to technical issues, and we couldn't get it properly fixed in time for the jam submission. It's among the first things we need to fix.
Regarding the idea of auto centering I personally don't like it but it might be something we need to include an option for. I dislike the idea of the game "taking control" from me in that manner, but this is just, again, speaking personally.