I one hundred percent agree with you man. I think my game had a sort of identity crisis, where I wasn't sure if I wanted a more platforming game or a more action game, so I ended up with mediocre both. Thanks for playing!
The tension is innate in the Metroidvania genre!
I believe the correct answer is: BOTH. :)
Yes, but take the last winner for example. No enemies, but challenging platforming sections. The game picks one thing and excels.