These are the best upgrades to get early in Wildcat Gun Machine

WIldcat Gun Machine is a fairly simple game, but two players with different sets of upgrades can experience things very differently.

There’s more to the recently released indie title than just a simple bullet hell. As the game progresses, Wildcat Gun Machine players can spend their hard-earned cash on upgrades at checkpoint stations. Thre’s 20 to eventually choose from, but players only get access to a small number of upgrades at the start. Here are the best upgrades for players to get early in Wildcat Gun Machine.

Best early upgrades in Wildcat Gun Machine

Players should quickly get upgrades for their dash and grenade abilities.

For many enemies in Wildcat Gun Machine, the first step to fighting them is running away. Bullet hell games are all about precision mobility, and the speed upgrades make it easier to dodge bullets and return fire. These upgrades are especially useful before you get the second recommended early pick.

The dash is the best defensive tool in all of Wildcat Gun Machine, and reducing the cooldown makes it even handier. The base cooldown starts at around eight seconds, but it drops down to just two seconds at max level. This upgrade is practically required for some of the later bosses, but get it early for convenient backtracking.

The dash is nice, but the grenade ability is a great offensive tool. The first-stage upgrade turns it into a molotov cocktail with damage on impact and over time. Area damage is especially useful on the second level against enemies that spawn flys and grubs. These three upgrades are the best picks for early Wildcat Gun Machine upgrades, but there are a few that are definitely worth skipping.

Extra life upgrades seem good, but skip them for now

Extra lives seem pretty valuable at first glance, but they’re rarely as useful as they sound. Wildcat Gun Machine allows the player to respawn in place whenever they die a limited number of times. The problem is that the respawn happens outside of a room with the entire chamber reset. Portals and boss fight checkpoints make finding the way back easy. Unlike checkpoint respawns, corpse respawns do not fill ammo.

It’s better to save your hard-earned bones on the upgrades listed above. Alternatively, use them to try out different pistol options. In fact, it’s a good idea to save some cash after every level to purchase an improved pistol right at the next checkpoint.