I have no idea how to play this game properly. At first my instincts told me I should try to find an opportunity to turn around and take down chasing enemies, but the camera and movement aren't fit for that. In the end the most efficient playstyle is circle strafing and holding the laser, and waiting for most things to die. The shield regen communicates that it's not a tight game and you are expected to get shot very often, and also allows you to play defensively by buying time for the shield to refill.
The laser is kind of an unfun main weapon for this type of game - non automatic high damage weapon or dropping bombs could be better, and laser should be for players who got the hang of aiming and movement. You should probably ditch the upgrades for the time being until the base gameplay is tighter.
Visuals make everything hard to make out, enemies are nearly invisible with the mountains in the background. I also can't tell when I'm taking and connecting hits, that's also a part of why my playstyle instantly turned sloppy.