1. I think the descriptions add a lot of flavor and soul, but you know you can just skip them and read the next paragraph. Though I was thinking of making flavor text a bit grayer/italics.
2. Cues? Putting a sword next to the word Damage in a game like this really does not seem necessary. And there are only a handful of uniform stats where that would make sense. I will probably make numbers of different colors though (not just next tier ones being green).
3. How do locked upgrades visually mix in with the unlocked ones?... They're worlds apart, especially if you use outline.
For me the issue with descriptions is that when you are looking for what an upgrade does, the description gets in the way, it's not that the "flavor" descriptions are redundant but I just wish they have been implemented in a different way that doesn't intrude with me trying to learn the game. Btw, I enabled text outlines and it's much better to tell stuff apart now, though why wouldn't the locked upgrades start appearing as you well... unlock them