This game is visually pleasant, which make me want to play more. The water effect, combined with the fact that the big pixels are in fact high-res, builds a retro-yet-contemporary aesthetic that combines nostalgia with shader/fx eye-candy.
Related to gameplay, I think that it will help to improve user feedback prior to the actions. So for example, when you are standing next to the fire, show a"[Q] USE BONFIRE TO COOK" prompt on top of the player; if possible, even with an icon for the key. About dashing; the mechanic is good but instead dimming the icon, which doesn't tell much about when it will be ready, I would use a bar, even with seconds (and even tenth of seconds visible), and would make it pop somehow when 100% is reached. This might seem redundant, but remember that the player is not you, who created the game so, same as when we are learning something, we need things to be repeated several times before interiorizing them.
About enemy spawn; I would make it in slower pace, and would display something that let's me know than enemies are coming (maybe a sprite of an approaching enemy coming from the back, or raising from earth like a zombie?). This way the player can anticipate the moves, enemies don't just spawn in his face. Another good thing to do that would make the experiences richer is to make it possible to destroy the spawn point (maybe by shooting down some artifact at the top of a stick?) This would create a parallel mechanic: while you are being surrendered by enemies, yo have to chose either to kill them or to kill their origin.
Another good mechanic to add would be to shoot further, surely by holding the shoot key for longer time.
There is something with the controls that made me a bit confuse but can't recall what. I'd keep one hand for moving (ASDW, arrows) and another for shooting+action. Would also consider to fuse the cooking action with the eating one, so if you hit the action key next to a fire you always cook if possible (if not, eat), and if you hit the action key with no target you always eat (if possible), and if your are next to a character, you neither cook or eat, but talk. Does that make sense?
;) Good luck with your teacher!