I like the idea that it's a barren wasteland. It adds to the sense of isolation and I feel sweaty just looking at it. I also like the idea that you have a water meter to maintain and it adds as an additional gameplay element.
The sprites for the ground is kind of dizzying to look at and there's not much to see in the landscape other than pools of water, rocks, and the occasional bandit encounters.
Overall, it looks like a great start for a bigger project!