Pragmata Review

Platform Played: PC
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Action-Adventure
Completion Status (How Long to Beat): Yes (12 hours)

Pragmata is a sci-fi action-adventure game that breathes new life into the traditional third-person shooter formula by seamlessly blending gunplay with strategic grid-based hacking. The central mechanic to combat is hacking, where you navigate through a grid, passing through tiles to reach an end point which ultimately damages enemies and opens their weak points to increased gunfire damage. The hacking mechanic adds a freshness to what would otherwise be a traditional third-person shooter and creates an exciting tension. In a smart design choice, your partner, Dianna, voices incoming attacks which is incredibly helpful when focused on navigating the hacking grid. The protagonist Hugh is extremely mobile with quick dashes and the ability to float in air leading to lively combat encounters. Different enemy types and mechanics are introduced throughout the entirety of the game, and the introduction of each leads to a wonderful pacing; the game never feels stale.

Beyond the action, clever ideas surrounding technology that can 3D print nearly anything leads to diverse settings from beginning to end. The story starts slow, but as the bond between Hugh and Dianna grows, the emotional heft of the journey carries real weight. The only notable drawback is that restricting manual saves and upgrades to the shelter can make for stilted pacing.

Pros:

• The hacking mechanic adds a freshness to the genre, creating exciting tension during combat.
• Dianna voicing incoming attacks is a smart and incredibly helpful design choice while navigating the grid.
• Hugh's high mobility, including quick dashes and floating, makes for lively combat encounters.
• Clever 3D printing technology concepts lead to diverse and interesting settings.
• The evolving bond between Hugh and Dianna gives the story real emotional heft.
• Pacing is wonderful, with new enemy types and mechanics introduced consistently so it never feels stale.

Cons:

• Restricting manual saves and upgrades to the shelter can make for stilted pacing.
• The story has a slow start.

Overall Score: 8/10