With Pragmata, Capcom introduces players to an original third-person space shooter, based on Resident Evil’s RE Engine.
Pragmata sees players stepping into the boots of Hugh Williams, a systems engineer assigned to a support team dispatched to a lunar station to investigate a sudden communications blackout. After becoming separated from his team, Hugh forms an unlikely partnership with an android girl he names Diana, and together they explore the abandoned outpost to uncover what happened and where the human crew has gone.
The game adopts a “future NASA” design aesthetic, blending realistic space habitats with subtle sci-fi elements. Hugh’s suit closely resembles a modern NASA spacesuit, while the facility’s interiors echo the familiar look of the International Space Station.
Hugh’s AI assistant, Diana, or Pragmata D-I0336-7, is a childlike robot creating a father-daughter bond that transcends the sci-fi setting of the game. Beyond the narrative, Diana’s unique abilities are central the game’s combat mechanics.
The lunar station, known as the Cradle, is a mining facility that produces a material called lunafilament for industrial-scale 3D printing. Its AI control system, IDUS, has seized control of the station, unleashing a hostile army of robots determined to eliminate Hugh.
The standout feature of Pragmata is its inventive approach to combat. While many games bolt hacking mini-games onto the action, Pragmata fully integrates the concept. In combat, Hugh and Diana operate as a true team. With most enemy robots heavily armoured, Hugh’s gunfire alone is ineffective, forcing players to rely on Diana’s hacking abilities to expose their weak points. This hacking takes place in real time, meaning I was dodging incoming attacks while simultaneously navigating a grid with a cursor, triggering special nodes to reach the target square. It is intense and overwhelming at first, but it becomes increasingly manageable as familiarity sets in.
Hugh is also equipped with a jetpack, allowing him to traverse environments built around vertical exploration. The game is structured around a hub-based design, with new areas unlocking as players progress. Along the way, players can return to the Sanctuary hub to resupply, upgrade gear and unlock new equipment. This space also provides opportunities to give Diana gifts, further developing the relationship between the two characters.
While the combat feels genuinely fresh, the missions have a tendency to become repetitive, and the environments can start to blur together. At times, the game feels like a blend of Capcom’s Lost Planet, with shades of Dead Space and a touch of Deliver Us The Moon. The exploration mechanics in particular closely resemble those found in Deliver Us The Moon and its sequel, though they lack the same sense of mystery and intrigue.
The PC version looks outstanding, making excellent use of global illumination to create near photo-realistic environments. Systems equipped with Nvidia GPUs gain an added boost from path-tracing technology, delivering highly realistic reflections.
Pragmata is a strong game, though not without its flaws. Its old-school shooter sensibilities are balanced by the thoughtfully crafted relationship between Hugh and Diana, while the narrative takes players on an emotional rollercoaster. Ultimately, how well the game resonates depends on how willing players are to invest in Hugh and Diana’s journey together.
Rating: Good