Story-driven games are one of the best genres in gaming that hook you to unforgettable adventures and cinematic worlds. There are numerous story-adventure games that can take you through a plethora of emotions throughout their journeys. I can confidently say that Pragmata is one of those games that delivers a fantastic adventure with a great narrative. It is one of the unique sci-fi adventures that builds up an emotional father-daughter narrative. You might not be ready to become a father, but following through the narrative of Pragmata might make you feel like a father-like figure. This is our review of Pragmata from Capcom.
Pragmata takes place in a lunar research center called “The Cradle” on the Moon. You take the role of Hugh Williams, a spacefarer sent to the Cradle to investigate why communications between Earth and the Cradle have been cut off. The Delphi Corporation, for which Hugh Williams works, has revolutionized manufacturing with the “Lim Replicator”, a device that can 3D print anything. Moreover, to keep the operations smooth, the company has issued an AI called Intelligent Direction Unification System (IDUS) to oversee everything. After Hugh arrives at the Cradle, a Moonquake disrupts the facility, making him fall to his near-death. Diana, the Android girl (AI), saves Hugh’s life, which begins the whole narrative of their journey together and IDUS going rogue.
The setting of Pragmata is refreshing despite bringing the familiar relationship feeling from The Last of Us. You get to explore various sections of the Cradle while experiencing the threat of AI in many forms.
Pragmata is an action-adventure video game with a third-person perspective, in which you take control of Hugh and Diana. The pacing of the game feels great, as you are constantly looking out for a way back to Earth with Diana. Hugh’s interactions with Diana feel very alive and warming, which keeps you engaged with the narrative throughout. What makes Pragmata more unique among other great story-driven games is its gameplay and combat mechanics. There is a lot of fighting and real-time puzzle solving in Pragmata. From the very moment you meet Diana, the game introduces its unique hacking-and-shooting combat mechanics. Shooting straight at the robots is ineffective and requires you to hack them first to reveal the weak points to deal effective damage.
Hacking includes a mini-game that you have to do in real-time while fighting the enemies. Diana initiates the hacking, and you have to use the buttons to guide a cursor through a grid. Initially, the hacking opens up the weak points, allowing you to deal more damage with your weapons. As the game progresses, new elements show up in the grid, allowing you to keep enemies vulnerable for longer, deal more damage with weapons, and so on. It is a cool way of keeping the combat dynamic, as you would have to think and fight at the same time.
Weapons also add another layer to combat, allowing you to use primary and secondary weapons to take control of the fight. Using the primary weapons and secondary tools helps you make useful decisions in a fight against a large group. In addition to combat, there is a main hub, where you can customize and upgrade Hugh and Diana. Moreover, the hub includes so many cute interactions between Hugh and Diana, including a hide-and-seek game.
The visuals of Pragmata are outstanding, thanks to Capcom’s RE Engine. A lot of the design is futuristic, but it keeps the overall immersion and constant threat of AI throughout the story. The face impressions of the characters are clean and impactful, and the enemy animations stay crisp at all times.
The sound design of Pragmata is nothing but the best. It includes atmospheric music, impactful sound effects, and very convincing voice acting that brings the characters Hugh and Diana to life. Both visuals and sound design make the narrative alive, which helps with overall immersion.
Pragmata is among the best story-driven video games I have played. It is a bold, atmospheric sci-fi adventure that keeps you engaged throughout. You get to experience intense fights with a group of AI enemies and an emotional build-up between Hugh and Diana. However, the constant use of hack and shoot might become repetitive for some players. There are many layers to the overall combat, so you can always try out tools and different weapons in the encounters. Moreover, there are three endings in Pragmata, and the True Ending is worth the time.
Pragmata is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
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