PRAGMATA Review

As one of Capcom’s newest IPs, Pragmata comes out swinging at every angle. The sci-fi genre is one many have seen and enjoyed, but it takes a lot to make it special. Capcom is known for its spectacular IPs like Resident Evil and Monster Hunter, so there was a lot for the team to live up to. Fortunately, I can say with certainty that Pragmata is one of the studio’s best outings in years.

Pragmata follows Hugh Williams, the lone survivor of a freak accident involving his space crew. He meets a vivacious android child, later named Diana, and the two form an unlikely pair. With Hugh’s agility and wit, and Diana’s hacking abilities and endless curiosity, the duo set out to escape the station and go to Earth. On the way, they are challenged by I.D.U.S., the station’s AI, and face a multitude of killer robots dead set on eliminating ‘intruders’.

I’ll be honest: the shooting/hacking gameplay is some of the best feeling combat I’ve played in a while. Erratic action and puzzle-solving mid-way shouldn’t work, and yet it does perfectly. As a lover of both genres, I found the mashup fun and added an extra layer to combat that made things more intuitive, even when it’s a repeat enemy or encounter. Hacking into an enemy and leaving them susceptible to weapons never got old, especially with the nodes adding variety into what the hacking could do. Using the Multi-Hack and Confuse nodes was a fun combination, making the robots fight themselves while you racked up damage with your gun.

Every battle was like a rush of adrenaline, keeping you on your toes and using everything to your advantage. Timing is key, from evading to hacking. While you are fast with your boosters and guns, they have numbers and can match you at times. It’s a great balance that only steps out of that for bigger enemies and bosses, which makes those fights tougher yet exciting. Capcom is no stranger to a good action game, and Pragmata is proof of that.

Combat will take up most of your time in Pragmata, but there are moments of platforming and exploration across different sectors. I won’t spoil any here, but there are some great ones, especially one in the beginning. While I do wish there were more variety in the final levels, its openness lets you explore and engage with the environment, whether it’s rooms full of secrets or challenging Red Chip battles. Plus, finding bits and pieces about the world made each crumb much more enjoyable. However, the map tool was a bit annoying because it only highlights the section you are in, not your exact location, making backtracking and exploration a bit frustrating.

In addition, you also have a central hub you can return to via escape hatches in sectors: The Shelter. There, you can heal, fix up your loadout, and upgrade your weapons, gear, and nodes. You can also take on trials, do Bingo with Cabin (yes, Bingo), and pretty up the place with real-world items for Diana to see. It leads to some relaxing moments in a game that thrives on the minute-to-minute thrill. Plus, interacting with Diana is always fun, especially when playing hide-and-seek.

Beneath the frenetic action is, surprisingly, a heartfelt story of two characters building a deep bond. Both Hugh and Diana have similar goals, and each wants the other to succeed. Their relationship develops a ton over the course of the game, and it’s a joy to see. Diana, especially, is the highlight of the two, getting to experience what it means to be human through Hugh’s tales and various recreations in the Shelter. She reminds me of my nieces when they were young: energetic and curious with a touch of sass.

The main plot has some pretty tense moments, but keeps an even keel through most of it. It’s got a few twists and turns, though it doesn’t blow over and get complicated. If anything, it does keep it a touch safe and skips over some interesting plot elements that I do wish were explored, even slightly. Even still, the focus is on Hugh and Diana and their partnership, and it’s a joy to experience. Without saying much, the duo will burrow their way into your heart and, by credits, you’ll want to go back again. This game will pull at your heartstrings, so get those tissues ready. Trust me, you will need them.

Visually, Pragmata is just as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the gameplay. The lunar settings are done incredibly well thanks to the RE Engine. Used for games for Resident Evil Requiem and Monster Hunter Wilds, Capcom has shown the power of it’s engine in a new way in Pragmata. For one, everything looks sleek and stylish, maintaining a realistic quality without being too lifelike. Second, it really brings out the sci-fi theme, especially for the robots. Their designs shine, and you can admire the details, down to the metal panels.

I played on a base PlayStation 5, and things kept pretty steady during my 11-to-12-hour playthrough. I never ran into any glitches or frame hiccups, even when the action got hot. Furthermore, the graphics still look great, though I’m sure they’ll look even better on higher-end hardware. I also wore headphones, which helped with the immersion and deepened the stellar audio design and delicious soundtrack by Yasumasa Kitagawa.

There is a clear vision for Pragmata, and a lot can be felt in its direction, thanks to Yonghee Cho. Coming from a concept artist background, you can tell how much detail went into things and the execution of their ideals. There isn’t much out of place, and it truly feels like a labor of love with the abundance of creativity sprinkled around. New IPs are the lifeblood of the industry, and Pragmata is proof that investing in new teams and ideas can and will pay off.