Pragmata Review – Not What I Expected…
Pragmata immediately looked interesting when it was first revealed, but it also left me and many of you wondering what kind of game it actually is. It kind of looks like Dead Space, but it’s not a horror game. It kind of has elements of BioShock’s Big Daddy and Little Sister, sort of looks like Vanquish and other Japanese sci-fi action games, but it’s not those either.
Capcom have been absolutely killing it over the past few years, so I was very interested to find out, and considering it’s set on the moon, and with Artemis 2 just returning from their trip around the moon and Project Hail Mary’s buzz at the box office, it couldn’t have arrived at a better time.
What I can say off the bat is that these Japanese studios still know how to put a video game together.
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Visuals and Presentation
Before I get into the gameplay, let me just tell you that Pragmata is a fantastic looking game on console, and while it’s set on the moon, there are elements of the story I don’t really want to spoil that allow for some pretty wonderful and varied environments that you get to experience.
In Pragmata, you play as Hugh Williams, who is part of a crew sent to a large moon base with a giant 3D printer to assist with an issue they’re having. So, we could chalk that up as an IT issue then.
Things go a little south, and Hugh ends up alone until he meets an adorable little girl robot and decides to call her Diana. He’s not sure what’s going on, she’s not sure why she has woken up from the vault she was in, and so a father and, err, robotic AI daughter bonding adventure ensues.
The Capcom RE Engine just continues to impress. I initially set Pragmata to its quality graphics setting to admire some crisp visuals during the intro before swapping over to Performance mode, but I was pretty astonished to discover that quality mode not only looked great, it seemed to be running at a buttery smooth 60 fps instead of the 30 fps I was expecting. Diana’s dynamic hair is just so impressive too, and not just that, there’s ray tracing throughout the game as well, and it really makes a difference to the experience because of all the lights, signs and glossy surfaces.
And all that while running well and feeling so snappy and responsive. It’s very impressive.
Gameplay and Mechanics
So, let’s talk about gameplay and what kind of game Pragmata actually is. It’s not a horror at all, and it’s not quite an action game either. It’s more of an action adventure that feels like it borrows certain elements from quite a few different ideas, but ends up delivering something quite unique in the process.
One of the main and most interesting parts of Pragmata’s gameplay is that it blends shooting mechanics and puzzle mechanics into the action. To defeat enemies, you have to hack them with Diana to expose them to damage from Hugh’s weapons, and with that there are a variety of weapons and tools Hugh can use to trap or damage enemies, while Diana’s upgrades and abilities allow you to add extra effects to the hacking, like confusing the enemy, opening them up to more damage, or hacking more than one at a time.
The system ends up working really well, and the control layout is excellent and well thought out so that you have the ability to shoot, hack, and even jump and dodge all at the same time without ever feeling like you’re stepping on your own toes with the controls.
There’s a decent variety of enemies too, each with their own quirks, and it becomes more interesting when you have to fight combinations of different ones together. There are also some pretty epic and large boss battles.
Exploration and Progression
When you’re not fighting, you’re moving through and exploring new areas, platforming around, getting around the station using trams, finding collectibles for upgrades, and figuring out how to get around the next hurdle.
If there’s one criticism I have in this area, it’s that some of the objectives or requirements to progress are a little repetitive at times, in that you often just need to find a certain amount of something to hack, to unlock enough parts of a thing, to open or activate that thing so you can continue.
For some downtime and upgrades, you find these hatches that let you head back to a safe hub room where you’re able to chat more with Diana, unlock items, suits, weapons and enhancements, and then gear up and head back in.
Characters and Story
I don’t know what it is with Capcom and little blonde girls in their games lately, but they seem to be all the rage over there. Diana is downright adorable though, and the evolving relationship between Hugh and Diana is helped along by frequent little sweet and sentimental moments between the gameplay where Hugh and Diana have a little chat, or Hugh tells her about Earth and people.
The campaign is expected to be around 10 to 15 hours, and at the time of reviewing, I’m not done with the full story yet. There are also a lot of training simulations and challenge rooms along the way, as well as areas you can return to after getting certain upgrades that allow you to access previously blocked areas, but hours and hours in, I can report that Pragmata is Capcom proving once again that they are making some of the best games out there right now.
It’s got fun gameplay, an interesting setting and story, it’s beautiful and responsive, and includes a bunch of extra things to keep you busy.
