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One of the best features of Pacific Drive is the many upgrades or blueprints you can unlock to make your first road trips easier. It is an in-depth system that will have you scour each junction for energy to return to your garage and get better items. With that in mind, there are many things you can unlock in the early hours, and it can be daunting for players. So, before you think about unlocking new decorations or the fastest engine, there are other things you should prioritize to make your exploration safer.
1. Matter Deconstructor
The Matter Deconstructor is one of the most useful upgrades you can unlock first in Pacific Drive. You can find it in the garage tab, and crafting it will allow you to install a new device inside your safe house to recycle car parts. Let’s say one of your vehicle’s doors is beyond repair; just take it to this place and scrap it to get some of the original materials back. You’ll still need to craft the new part from the ground up, but it is a good way to turn something damaged into something new.
2. Expanded Locker
Initially, the game will give you a considerable amount of storage space. You’ll get two lockers you can use to store your materials. However, as you progress through the game and get better car parts or larger materials, you’ll need a new locker. The one thing we recommend you prioritize for your garage is an extra locker. This should help until you reach the mid-zone, which is a few hours into the game. Luckily, it isn’t expensive to craft, and you can get even more lockers after unlocking this upgrade.
3. Relightable Flare
This isn’t the best flashlight in the game, but it’ll do for a few hours. To unlock it, you must head to the Lights tab in your Fabrication station. It doesn’t require a lot of stable energy to unlock, so you should prioritize getting it as soon as possible. Furthermore, all you need to craft is a few road flares and some other materials that are easy to get. It won’t last a lot, but it’ll work much better than road lights, making it a crucial survival tool to have before unlocking a proper flashlight.
4. Insulated Panel
One of the most common hazards during the game’s first junctions is electricity. This can come from Minutemen, Spark Towers, or other bizarre anomalies. The one blueprint we recommend you unlock in Pacific Drive is the Insulated Panel. This will provide a considerable amount of armor as well as electricity protection. Plus, according to the game, some of this protection transfers to adjacent car parts. This means that even if you only get two panels, your other vehicle parts will be a bit safer, too.
5. Offroad Tire
You might’ve noticed that the most annoying thing is the game is trying to outrun the storm while driving through the woods. Your normal tires aren’t cut for that. That’s why we recommend saving energy to unlock your new Offroad Tires. Besides providing more HP to your tires, they allow you to drive through the woods and water with ease. However, they aren’t so great for the normal roads, but we’d rather have speed inside the wilderness than in the asphalt.
6. Steel Sheet
Last but not least, one of the upgrades you’ll most likely unlock first in Pacific Drive is the Steel Sheet. This is a crucial blueprint you need to add to your repertoire because it is the base of all new car parts. If you want to abandon crude vehicle parts that offer little protection, a Steel Sheet can do the job. All you need is some Scrap Metal, and you can make some shiny new doors and panels for your station wagon.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to choose the upgrades you want to go for. However, we noticed these are the most useful ones you can get during the early hours. Also, as a recommendation, try to grab as many Anchors as possible when exploring junctions. Even if you don’t need them to open the portal, it is great to bring more energy to get those sweet new blueprints in Pacific Drive.
