There are a handful of recurring themes throughout Eastward's story, but perhaps one of the most prevalent is learning how to make more of less. John and Sam live in a derelict bus at the start of the game, for goodness’ sake; if you don't call that making more of less, what do you call it?
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However, in addition to making more, there's also a recurring theme of improving oneself and learning. It's okay to have base standards, but when the situation calls for it, such as with hostile monsters, you need to know how to rise to the occasion, both metaphorically and literally with weapons and item upgrades.
8 Bomb Damage
While bombs can be used as a weapon in a pinch, that's not really their primary application. Bombs are better suited as utilities for blasting walls down or clearing paths. If you spam all your bombs in a random fight, you'll find yourself bereft of them when you really need them.
It's for this reason that upgrading your bombs' damage is a pretty low priority. They're already fairly strong from the get-go anyway, and the resources required to buy the upgrades are much better spent elsewhere.
7 Bomb Box
Again, funneling resources and Salt into upgrading your bombs isn't the best use of them, but if you had to upgrade one element of your bombs, your carrying capacity is slightly more important than how much damage they do.
This is more of a practical concern than a combat one. If you burn all your bombs, either for their intended purpose or in a fight, you have to drag yourself back to the nearest shop or supply point to refill them, which is a pain and a half. At least with a higher carrying capacity, you won't have to do this as often.
6 Bang-Bang Gun Damage
The Bang-Bang Gun is the first ranged weapon you receive in Eastward, and as you'd expect from a starting pistol, it's functional, if not especially impressive. Its damage is middling, and it doesn't fire very far, but it's good in situations where John's Frying Pan isn't a viable option.
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If you have a surplus of resources, upgrading the Bang-Bang Gun isn't a terrible idea, especially if you can do so right after getting it. There are certainly situations where having a more powerful ranged weapon early in the game can do you some good. That said, upgrading it isn't as good of an investment once you unlock the other ranged weapons, nor is it as important as certain other upgrades.
5 Ammo Box
As you progress further into the game, you'll often find yourself in situations where using one of your ranged weapons is better than your Frying Pan, if not outright required. As the difficulty of these encounters ramps up, you'll chew through ammo at a pretty steady rate, eventually exhausting it entirely.
With an Ammo Box upgrade, you can carry more ammo for all of your weapons simultaneously. Not only is this very convenient, as you don't need separate upgrades for each weapon's ammo, but it'll improve your longevity in a tricky encounter.
4 Scepter Of Flame Damage
Everything's better when it's roasted to perfection. What the Scepter of Flame (named so by the "Sonic Punk") lacks in range, it more than makes up for in stopping power, blanketing the area in enduring, spreading flames. This is great for holding off large crowds of annoying enemies, as well as single, larger enemies.
Upgrading the Scepter increases its flat damage, which means every tick of damage caused by its flames is individually boosted. Now that's some quality damage over time. The only real downside to upgrading the Scepter of Flame over other weapons is that you might not get to use it as much in some parts of the game, since it's necessary to burn off hostile terrain.
3 Cog Shooter Damage
The last ranged weapon you get in Eastward, and the coolest one besides. The Cog Shooter launches large circular saw blades at high speed and long-range, dealing multiple ticks of damage upon impact with an enemy. Even if that practicality didn't appeal to you for some reason, you can't deny the kind of visceral charm that comes with launching spinning pointy things at monsters.
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Similarly to the Scepter of Flame, upgrading the Cog Shooter upgrades the damage dealt with every tick. Not only does that mean more overall damage, but it means more damage at a safer range than the Scepter. The only edge the Scepter has over the Cog Shooter is its faster rate of fire, but if you're further away from danger anyway, it's less of a concern.
2 Frying Pan Damage/Size
John's most steadfast companion after Sam, and quite possibly the most important object to both their lives. Not only does the Frying Pan serve as John's primary means of culinary preparation, but its sturdy, flat surface makes it an excellent melee weapon in just about any situation.
As the Frying Pan is upgraded, it gains a powerful charging attack, deals more flat damage, and swings in a wider arc. The only reason it's not at the top of this list is that, unlike your other weapons and items, your Frying Pan is only upgraded at particular story beats, so you can't control when it gets stronger.
1 Backpack Expansion
What's the one thing that provides the best odds of success and survival in just about any situation? Weapons? Skills? Not quite. The answer is preparation. When you prepare for all possible outcomes, ideal and awful, you'll always be ready to take the next step. The first step in preparation is a strong back and a big pack.
Upgrading John's backpack allows you to carry both combat items like ammo reloads and healing items like food John has prepared. The latter is especially important, as different foods confer different buffs and effects. With a larger pack, you can carry a veritable rainbow of dishes and equipment to meet any and all situations and circumstances.
NEXT: Things Everyone Completely Missed In Eastward
