Cat's definitely should have a balance of wet and dry. Wet food, in my understanding is better for them than dry.

As for types though, honestly, the whole thing just gets me confused. I feel like there are strong opinions out there about certain ingredients and such, but no proof. I will be getting cats soon and I have no idea what kind of food I will end up feeding them. My old cat lived to 19 years old on no particular cat food - Just whatever was on sale. She was very healthy her entire life. So a part of me is sceptical about what some people say about cat food ingredients.

It's hard because people will say their cat developed a problem from their food, which could very well be true, but it doesn't mean all cats will get sick from the cheaper foods out there. Every cat is different, just like humans. Not all humans can eat the same foods due to allergies or intolerances. Cats, I think are much the same.