Following Project Hail Mary, the kickoff for the final season of Dr. Stone, and NASA’s successful launch of the Artemis II rocket, I’ve been in a pretty big “space” mood. I’ve always been a huge fan of space and sci-fi overall, keeping up with both the private and public sectors over the years. However, the first launch of humans to the moon in 52 years is a great way to send me down the rabbit hole of space films, books, YouTube videos, and, of course, games.
With that in mind, Pragmata could not have come at a better time. Capcom is one of my favorite publishers for a reason, and Pragmata is a game we’ve known about for quite some time. However, for one reason or another, the game was delayed considerably, with a gap of almost six years between reveal and release. I was immediately interested after the first trailer, walked away from SGF 2025 with it as my favorite demo, but with the full release finally here, is Pragmata the fantastic new Capcom IP we were all hoping for?
After spending some time with the game at last, I can safely say that Pragmata absolutely delivers. It is a bold, inventive take on the action genre, one that feels incredibly refreshing yet familiar in many ways. I have a few gripes here and there, but these do not come close to overshadowing how confident Pragmata is in itself and the experience it delivers.
Welcome to The Cradle
Pragmata follows Hugh Williams as he journeys to the moon with a team to investigate the lunar research station following a blackout of communication to Earth, but upon arrival, a massive moonquake strikes, leaving Hugh separated from the rest of his team. Shortly after, Hugh wakes up to find himself healed by a mysterious young girl, whom Hugh quickly names Diana after she shares a long, number-filled codename. Diana is no ordinary girl—she’s an advanced robot, also known as a Pragmata.
As soon as Hugh starts exploring, it becomes clear that something is seriously wrong at the lunar base. There’s not a soul around, and the base’s AI administrator, IDUS, is sending all robots to attack and remove Hugh and Diana. Enemies don’t have any weak points, but thanks to Diana’s ability to hack, you can open them up for Hugh to shoot and eliminate them. Pragmata exclusively focuses on Hugh and Diana. The two wander and explore the base in an attempt to both find answers to the lifeless state of the base and stop IDUS.
Hugh is a character who comes into this story with one goal: getting home to Earth. He doesn’t waver from that in the slightest, only attempting to solve the mysteries of the base and communicate with Earth. He’s driven, but besides a few mentions here and there, we don’t really get to dive into Hugh as a character beyond the surface. That being said, David Menkin puts on an excellent performance that never failed to pull me in.
On the other hand, Diana is endearingly naive, as she wishes to understand everything about Earth and those around her with her very limited knowledge. Her animations and curiosity are adorable, and I truly enjoyed watching her grapple with the idea of finding a purpose. The game does a great job at showcasing her encounters and growth in understanding with sequences in the Shelter, especially, which acts as the game’s main hub.
I loved watching the almost father-daughter relationship between the two unfold, even if it isn’t anything all that new to the medium. That emotional bond is clearly present between Hugh and Diana, and Pragmata isn’t afraid to lean into that. However, I do wish there were more narrative buildup between Hugh and Diana. Sure, the scenes we get are great, but I think building up the two more and even diving into Hugh’s backstory could have made the relationship feel more “earned” in a way. Hugh begins to care for Diana rather quickly, and while that rapid shift is somewhat believable, it keeps some of the game’s emotional moments from landing as strongly as they could have. That’s not to say that these don’t land, but I feel more could have been here.
Overall, I really did enjoy Pragmata‘s narrative, even if it clearly was not the focus of this game. It has plenty to offer, even with some of the shortcomings of its character writing and somewhat familiar tropes. Pragmata packs in plenty beyond cutscenes and character interactions in the form of data logs, which remind me a lot of emails in Death Stranding. I continued to find incredible pieces of lore and story packed in these throughout the base, to the point where I question why some of this information is not included in the main story somewhere. As someone who had the urge to explore every area to its fullest, it’s not a major complaint for me, but I do wonder if players less driven for exploration will fail to find some essential pieces of lore.
The Delphi Corporation sits at the center of this story, acting as the owner of the lunar base itself. Years previously, upon arrival on the moon, humanity discovered Lunam Ore, which is used to create Lunafilament, a material that can replicate absolutely anything as long as data exists for it. As you wander throughout the lifeless base, you’ll see all sorts of sights, including trees, mining rigs, and even a beach recreated using Lunafilament. This material was used to create unbelievable sights that Hugh and Diana will encounter, like a replica of New York City, a Terrarium Dome, and much more.
Atmosphere is one of Pragmata‘s strongest home runs, as every area is simply fascinating. Being stranded alone, away from Earth, isn’t new, but the buddy-like dynamic here, with one of the characters being a resident of the Moon, adds a refreshing twist. The lifeless environment left me with numerous questions, and I was practically racing through every sector to uncover what secrets and pieces of lore I could find. There’s such interesting lore littered around the base, plus plenty of collectibles and interactibles. Each of the robots and machines has fantastic, humanoid designs that are also eerie in a way. Even the idea of Lunafilament adds to this, as everything before you, even the base itself, feels like an artificial, almost uncanny environment.
The bridge that ties everything together is the Shelter, which acts as Pragmata‘s hub. Here, you can upgrade abilities, interact with a robot named Cabin, and perform different activities with Diana. After each mission, you head back here, and the game places numerous checkpoints throughout every section that let you traverse back to heal, refill supplies, and more whenever you please. Beyond examining secret reports, one of the bigger narrative elements of this area lies in giving Diana presents. This is done when collecting a Read Earth Memory (REM) in any sector, and upon giving it to Diana, you’ll see a Lunafilament-replicated item from Earth that Diana can play with. These can range from a campfire and a tent to a globe, and it’s charming to watch Diana interact with these and speak to Hugh about their uses.
Ultimately, the world-building is not just here for atmosphere. Pragmata directly feeds all this lore and narrative into the game’s central hook: its gameplay.
Hacking Away
Capcom is no stranger to satisfying gameplay. Devil May Cry and Resident Evil come to mind, as do Onimusha and Street Fighter. However, the company has never attempted something like Pragmata. What makes Pragmata unlike any other game on the market is its gameplay. This differentiating factor requires you to not only aim and shoot but also utilize the face buttons to hack enemies to deal real damage. I adored the 15-minute slice I got last Summer, and upon return, I can’t help but feel that this is the most fun I’ve had with a Capcom game in years. Capcom has made a tremendous system that continues to reinvent and build upon itself as the campaign marches onward. Across my 10-hour playthrough, I did not once get bored with the gameplay loop.
Average encounters, even with generic enemies like Walkers, can quickly test you if you aren’t careful. Both Hugh and Diana’s abilities must be utilized for you to have any chance at defeating enemies, as bots have armor that prevents Hugh from dealing solid damage to them without being hacked, and Diana cannot deal enough damage to quickly take out most enemies without Hugh’s help.
Disabling armor or leaving a bot “OPEN” requires Diana to hack a path to a green block. Each bot has a different grid, with some being giant and some smaller, plus there are obstacles that can pop up to impede progress if you aren’t careful. Amongst the grid will be blue squares, which are essential to pass through to deal more damage and keep armor deactivated longer. Beyond this, though, is where things get quite fun. You can pick up different abilities throughout the sectors that appear in the hacking grid. These power-ups can drastically affect bots, such as turning on friendly fire or freezing them in place with shock. As the game progresses, you unlock more of these, and it’s up to you to customize which nodes you want to carry with you.
Pragmata is smart to limit how many times you can use each node. For instance, with Confuse, having only two (see the above screenshot), you can only go through that node twice before it’s gone from your inventory. This made me extremely cautious and calculated on where and which bot I used Diana’s abilities on, as it’s easy to go through multiple on the same grid if you are just attempting to connect every colored block you see. If you can’t tell, this is really where Pragmata‘s strategy, almost puzzle-like essence, comes from.
Hugh, on the other hand, also has a fantastic set of tools at his disposal. There are a good number of weapon types to try out, and within each category, you have a handful of weapons to use. As you hack with Diana, you have to aim, shoot, and switch guns where required with Hugh. Weapons have a limited number of bullets or uses, and once they’re depleted, the weapon goes, too. Your primary weapon is rechargeable, though, so you can count on this as a mainstay in your arsenal.
Beyond aiming and shooting, you also maneuver around the environment as Hugh. He has access to boosters on his waist that allow for dodging, jumping, and hovering—and let me tell you, goodness does this movement feel good! Combat encounters feel tremendous as you dodge around, aim to hack, and fire away at enemies. The boosters make for a very satisfying gameplay experience overall, as different bots have different attack styles. Some require you to dodge around to a weak point, while others might rush at you, leaving you to dodge before taking damage.
The core gameplay loop of Pragmata will feel familiar to most action game fans. There are a handful of sectors that act as major levels, and within them, you’ll explore, fight bots and bosses, and solve puzzles. What I wasn’t expecting was the subtle platforming littered throughout the game, and these sections were always a lot of fun to progress through with the boosters. More often than not, you’ll find a platforming area that leads to a collectible, such as a Cabin Coin, a new mod, or extra currency.
Collectibles are littered throughout the environment, and there are plenty of challenges to find, too. One of my favorites is the Red Zone areas, high-stakes challenge areas that can be seriously tough yet give fantastic rewards. These directly tie in with Cabin in the Shelter, as he has a “Bingo Board” where you can redeem Cabin Coins for rewards. You might get some enemy intel data, a new costume for Hugh or Diana, or even a new mod. Some slots are walled off until you clear the Red Zones, preventing you from earning their rewards.
There is an extensive upgrade system that I really enjoyed available in the Shelter, allowing you to upgrade your suit, Diana’s hacking abilities, weapons, and more. You can unlock and purchase different abilities, strengthen existing ones, and spend both Lunafilament and Upgrade Points. The different currencies for upgrades force you to carefully consider what to prioritize when leveling up items. Hugh also has equippable mods that can affect stats for both himself and Diana. You’ll find these in boxes hidden throughout the environment, and some can drastically shake up the gameplay experience.
Naturally, this gameplay system makes boss fights a treat. Each boss (and enemy, really) offers a new challenge that requires you to masterfully weave together all these elements into an attack plan. Multitaskers will feel right at home, as I sure did, attempting to balance all these systems and find a way to defeat each enemy without taking hits. Even if that might sound daunting, I found the game appropriately challenging but still forgiving enough.
Beyond anything else, what I adore most about Pragmata is just how confident it is in its mechanics. Never once does it feel like an idea or gameplay element detracts or diverts from the core vision of this hacking and shooting approach, and it feels like there is an endless stream of new abilities, weapons, and mechanics to discover from beginning to end. Capcom continuously throws curveballs and gimmicks your way, even with enemies you’ve seen for the whole game showing up with new hazards later.
I definitely wondered before release how the hacking gameplay would stay fresh, and I just could not get enough. There is always a new ability to master and use against enemies, or a new variant that pops up and totally throws your previous approach out the window. Every time I started to get comfortable, a new weapon or hacking ability was thrown my way to master. I’ve only scratched the surface of explaining and diving into what I loved about the mechanics of Pragmata, but rest assured, the gameplay loop is fast, tight, and endlessly innovative.
Lunar Whispers
As the latest release on RE Engine, Pragmata does an impeccable job at showcasing the engine at its best in linear environments. Visuals are gorgeous, environments are rich with detail, and this is one of my favorite-looking RE Engine games to date. Visual effects are prominent, technology like hair strands for Diana was impressive, and each area continued to stun. I was blown away multiple times by the art direction and use of colors throughout, which popped beautifully on my OLED TV. Looking at space and seeing the endless black with just the Earth in the distance is also a real atmosphere setter, just saying.
I greatly appreciate Capcom’s design choice to keep Pragmata as a linear experience. I think this greatly benefits the game, keeping platforming and level design tight while still offering room for players to explore with optional hidden pathways and areas. Sure, you might walk into some areas like the lunar base’s New York City and want to explore for hours, but I felt Pragmata gives you enough to be satisfied with exploration. Levels don’t feel too small or large, but rather an appropriate size that’s believable yet artificial.
Music is another area that really shines. There’s a wonderful balance of soft piano melodies that play when the game focuses on Diana and her relationship with Hugh, but combat brings powerful, techno-driven music that ramps up in the best possible way. I mentioned how strong Pragmata‘s atmosphere is earlier, and music is a key reason for that. The game knows when silence is valuable and when to crank up the dial for maximum sci-fi immersion.
Regarding performance, Pragmata offers both Quality and Performance modes, which target resolution and frame rate, respectively. I opted for Quality mode to really take in the environments at their best, and besides two very brief encounters, I did not experience any major frame rate dips. Feel comfortable in selecting either option depending on your preference. The linear design also lends itself well to this, as we’ve seen RE engine struggling in more open-world games and environments.
Pragmata‘s visuals and overall presentation enhance nearly every moment of Hugh and Diana’s journey. Even smaller pieces I haven’t delved into, like UI and animations, elevate what’s here. The game’s atmosphere is one of its biggest strengths, and these elements are key in ensuring it lands as intended.
To The Moon And Back
Since 2020, my expectations for Pragmata have been sky high. My demo last Summer was enough to convince me this game was going to be special, but I was curious if the full release could take that hacking formula and keep it enjoyable for a full campaign. All in all, even with a few slight narrative stumbles, Pragmata delivered, and what a special game this is.
Due to the exponentially rising costs of game development, it feels like we continue to see trends of a lack of experimentation and/or new IP in the games industry. In recent years, Capcom has continued to defy that trend with great new franchises like Kunitsu-Gami, and Pragmata is ultimately another reminder that these brilliant developers can still create something fresh and new for the medium.
Pragmata takes huge risks with its approach. Many developers and game designers wouldn’t dare attempt something like this, especially considering how much input is needed in combat. Yet, here we are, and the game delivers and just works. Pragmata is uber-confident in every aspect, and it must be rewarded for it.
More than anything, I hope Pragmata serves as a statement that Capcom will continue to produce new IPs and franchises beyond its most beloved series. I adore Resident Evil, Ace Attorney, and everything else, but seeing huge swings at bold, inventive ideas like Pragmata? More of this, please.
Disclaimer: Capcom provided a PlayStation 5 copy of Pragmata for review purposes.
