Hey! Thanks for the feedback!
You know, I originally had the game like that, but then got self-conscious that people thought the game was too simple. I'm thinking for the final game (or maybe even a revised demo), I will go back to the old formula, like you suggest. I'm also toying with the idea of having a sort of.. skill tree. So players can unlock new abilities as they go, and decide for themselves which moves would be the most advantageous to prioritize.
If you're interested to see how the pacing was before, check this let's play from a while back--I'd love to hear if you think it works (though it's a bit dated). I feel like it's exactly as you describe, haha:
There are a couple others, but this is the only person who managed to beat the whole demo (that I know of). And yeah, one guy was kinda sour on the whole thing and found it boring, which is kinda what led me down the path of the current demo, lol.Wall jump with space vs shift was also a recent change. I kept noticing people spamming the "jump" button, so they'd accidentally bounce off walls with unintended rebounds.
So I guess in conclusion, I agree with everything you're saying, haha. I should just be more confident in myself, the game, and the players and pace it accordingly--and not let a couple stray negative observations derail the experience.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts! This is really helpful feedback.