How exactly can I enable the controller or change the controls? There appears to be no controller/controls related options in the game?

I have no idea. What controller are you trying to use? I am trying to get it to work with a PS4 controller but no luck.

I have a Logitech Dual Action gamepad, which is basically just a Playstation controller clone...

The Game itself seems to be really good and everything I hoped for it to be, but I can't force myself to play it with keyboard, even though I have long history of gaming with keyboard on PC, played Commander Keen series etc. with keyboard back in the early nineties.

I read in the Steam forums that apparently there is going to be a patch released to add controls remapping, but I guess I need to fire up Joy2Key to use controller for the time being.

It seems to me that when you release a video game, regardless of the platform, the options menu should include (clearing my throat and leaning forward) A DESCRIPTION OF THE CONTROLS!!!

Can you try the keyboard to button mapper in 8Bitdo website?
It helped me with other games to map a button from a controller to a key. It's in the 8bitdo support, Xmap I believe is called