What worked:
The gameplay feels smooth. The different enemies make sense and work well together. I'd be annoyed at the enemy projectiles if it wasn't for the piercing effect (I wonder if it might be better to be able to destroy their projectiles though? Maybe at high enough damage?) I like the constant decisions and trade-offs on offense vs defense and being able to see. It makes the decision on power-ups that much more intriguing and tactical. Sometimes I might take a power-up I don't want as much just so I can see which is really interesting.
The game also looks great visually. I really like how the light areas function with the way they look and meld together.
What didn't:
Light upgrades feel a bit too weak. I know that they're supposed to be weaker since you get the added benefit of being able to see, but I would often only pick light upgrades only to increase my view area. Shields and dodge percent are fine, the dashes are weak upgrades compared to dark upgrades. Maybe this is more of an issue of there just needing to be more (expanded game)?
On the topic of the strengths between the two choices, dark upgrades felt necessary, but I never felt that I needed light upgrades. One example of this was the boss fight, where it can spawn so many minions that it's impossible to survive unless you've been upgrading your attack (damage, fire rate, piercing, etc.).
I would have liked to see some way to restore health. Maybe even at the cost of taking an upgrade, or a bit of health after a boss.
Bugs:
Dash can still be used when standing still. You won't go anyway, but you won't be able to move for a little bit. Not technically a bug, but also probably not intended.
Great job! (best - 191)