The controls weren't that bad for me, but I can see why others here have that complaint. Other than that, I think this was a really good entry. The sound effects were punchy and hitting the enemies felt good (sometimes a hit looked like a miss, though). And I love the minimal graphics and HUD and the way you used the lighting.
I died 3 times before I was able to complete the game. That's when I learned I could cheese the enemy AI by shooting them at the edges of my screen where I'm outside their aggro range xD
I gotta ask, did you think about a "dash" or "evade" mechanic when making this? That would make combat feel much more fun and involved. Overall, I enjoyed your entry. Great job!