What a ride! Since you've asked for feedback I'll happily share my (spoiler free) thoughts.
Starting with what I didn't like / could be improved:
- Like other have already said the movement feels a bit weird at times which for me comes down to two issues: collisions are a bit off at some points and I'm not a big fan of those tiles where you move slower. Basic traversal feels totally fine though
- The combat didn't feel very challenging or rewarding. Which is probably because of the very simple enemy AI and the fact that there's very little feedback on hits and no death animations. I've also never really had to use the shield. The roll was also more of a tool to get faster from point A to B.
- Some of the SFX is really jarring. Especially the sound of the bug net is so loud and high pitched that I had to turn the volume way down. I really don't mind these retro sounds in general but I would prefer them to be a bit quieter and not so high pitched
- There are some inconsistencies with how interactibles are handled. Some doors, for example, say that they're locked to indicate that they can be opened while others say nothing. This can get quite confusing because there are quite a few doors that can't be opened at all.
- There's a point in the game where you can get to a place you aren't supposed to go to yet. While it's fine to block this area off, I didn't like how it was done ("invisible wall")
Now to the things I liked:
- The numerous references are quite obvious but everything has its own twist which was cool to see and very well done
- The overall atmosphere, world building and story was very interesting and kept me hooked until the end. This is undoubtedly the biggest strength of the game
- Exploration felt rewarding and I did enjoy all of the puzzles
- Pacing and progression was great. I never got stuck while it also hasn't felt too easy at the same time (this is very hard to get right, good job!)
- The scary parts were great! Even got me jumping at one point
- While the art is nothing too fancy it works great. Later areas are actually quite nice to look at
- The music is really awesome!
Overall I must say that this game, even in its current state, is really great and enjoyable from start to finish. I can't wait to play the final product. Good job! :)