yeah I don't remember the exact reason why it was taken out. I wanna say I vaguely remember some kind of meter was going to be done but time ran out so I guess maybe the thought was just a number doesn't match the rest of the polish and aesthetic of the game so it was removed. I think you definitely showcased the importance for having that visual feedback in the game after second playthrough
I had a similar issue to a game I"m working on. I have a jetpack and I had this meter but I didn't like how it worked. So I made the particles effect get lesser and lesser as an alternative means to a meter to show when your fuel/power was running out