• "throws you into the gameplay" :  Next update will have a initial cutscene, in game tutorial (just a slideshow) and surface level.
• "fishing aspect a bit repetitive": I get you, will try to make it more pleasing to do.
• "combat kind of 'bland': Get you again, but I really don't have too much ideas to enhance it.
• "annoying after a while when the bats keep jumpscaring you": Random encounters are a core mechanic, do you think it's ennoying because it's loud or it's the encounter itself?
• "I climbed up three times the game froze on a black screen": It happens because it tries to go to the surface, but there is no durface for now, sorry about that.

Thank you for your comment!

Thanks for the comment, There is just one drop (the small potion) and one enemy (the bat) for now. Make flee harsher is a good idea, you can look some informations if you hover while pressing control (I'm wiling to make it easier in the future), and the trader have a hidden random value he adds, making it impossible to know the price, but I can add a "it should be selled for [value]" as a base price in the informations panel.