Good:
- Really nice enemy designs. They feel genuinely challenging to fight, without being unfair. At least the Samurai do. I couldn't handle the ninja.
- Great art style. It feels like an old painting, or one of those wall-hanger scrolls. I love the pixel work on the background. Looks lovely.
- Good, interconnected levels, with lots of paths to explore.
- I was very amused by the merchant's fourth-wall-breaking comments.
Bad:
- I found the jump really awkward to use. It falls so fast, seems to have no coyote time, or leeway for jumping just before hitting the ground. I think the combat would feel amazing if I could reliably dodge projectiles, but half the time the jump just doesn't happen.
- It's a bit odd to have the map fully visible from the start. Hard to feel like I'm exploring when everything is marked on the map for me...
Overall, this was a really strong entry. I really enjoyed the aesthetic, and came very close to enjoying the combat. Some tweaks to how the jump works and this would be an amazing game. I hope you find time to develop it further.