It's really annoying having the "You've got a bunch of stat-boosting items" message pop up all the time if you don't use them. Maybe have it pop up once then never again.
The upgrade screen is really irritating. Why can't you purchase all upgrades from the same screen instead of clicking on one, then the screen changes, then you can upgrade, then you have to click back, click a new upgrade, click back, click a new upgrade. You should have one screen that allows you to hover over each upgrade while the game displays how much the respective upgrade costs. Efficiency my friend, gamers expect it.
Too much grinding for minimal reward. Story is really boring and poorly written. No flexibility to the game, maybe a map where you can choose a destination or a different town with different weapons. Eh, I'd say 3 stars at best.
Yup, I'm not happy with the upgrade UI either. I've learned from my mistakes!