Hey Burrito,
Thanks so much for your comment and feedback! I completely agree with everything you said. I think a more metroidvania-style hub that you branched out from would have made the game better, as well as overarching goals. You said revisiting old areas with new "parts/powers/knowledge" would make the game feel more connected and rewarding -- I agree with you again, and there were supposed to be more abilities and backtracking (like different types of arms besides the 1 you find), but the 48 hours flew by so fast lol. Same reason why the game isn't as polished as it should be.
Thanks again for writing this! It made me happy that someone took the time to leave such valuable feedback on something I made. I will definitely remember your advice next time I make a game like this :)