Combat feels like a slog, because you end up just standing in front of an enemy and clicking until the enemy dies. The attack animation is way too long, and does not fit what is really happening (damage is applied right away, even though the character's arm barely started moving). I think you can fix combat with a few changes.
First, change the player animation to start on its last frame right away, and maybe add some recovery and a VFX. Then make it so the damage is applied at the end of the animation when enemies attack. This way, the player will be able to get in, hit a couple of times, and get out before the enemy finishes its attack. It will make the combat much more dynamic.
Here's a good tutorial on player attack animation: https://saint11.art/blog/pixel-art-tutorials/#AttackSheet