"Objective" criticism doesn't exist. I don't care about the "developer's intent," I care about my experience with the game. Which was resoundingly negative.This is where I disagree. The user interface explains everything you need to know on one screen whether in combat or upgrading your equipment without the need to bombard you with pop ups and tutorials. This is something few games do so well. The sense of progression comes from the experience and a better understanding of the games mechanics from run to run. In terms of actual game progression you can keep one pilot from each failed or successful run that will retain their XP and abilities gained. Also you will eventually start unlocking pilots which have set special abilities. Of course, you would already know this if you kept playing. Have you considered that maybe your misguided expectations have clouded your ability to objectively criticize the developer's intent and quality of the game's design?
None of what you posted is new information to me either.