Thank you a lot for the feedback, I'll keep that in mind.
I should’ve done away with the “percentage level cleared” in the level summary because I did not expect the player to go through every destructible tile in the level. Also, some cheaper upgrades would have been nice for compensating that.
Look out for occasional chest spawns; the different types of weapons can be very helpful! I believe the ranged enemy that you're talking about is the blue Splintering Alien, in the first area. Although it may be intimidating at first, you'll notice that they get very cowardly once you get up close!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such an in-depth review! If I decide to do more with Xenocavern, it would definitely be in a rewritten sequel, due to the time constraint forcing me to not go with the object-oriented approach for various systems in the game. Your feedback is very valuable, especially with you recounting your experience with the game. I already have some ideas brewing for a potential sequel.
I noticed when the player fell with any velocity they would sink down through the ground, rather than being placed onto the ground. Also, if the player died, their velocity wouldn't reset and therefore they might spawn inside of the ground.
