Pragmata Triumphs with Moon Landing Success
Earlier this month, a crew of astronauts completed the first manned trip beyond Earth’s orbit since 1972. The mission, referenced alongside Artemis 2, renewed public interest in lunar exploration. I took a very different journey to the moon inside Capcom’s Pragmata.
Gameplay and core mechanics
Pragmata fuses third-person shooting with a real-time hacking minigame. The combination changes combat dynamics and demands constant attention.
Players control Hugh while Diana, a childlike android, perches on his back to perform hacks. Hacking is done via a node grid that Diana navigates with the controller face buttons.
Hacking details
Hacks occur in real time and do not pause gameplay. You cannot move the camera while hacking, which raises tension in fights.
Blue nodes boost hack damage. Yellow upgrade nodes add effects like confusion, freezing, or multi-hack transfers. Successful hacks expose enemy weak points.
Weapons and synergies
All adversaries are robots and require hacking to be damaged effectively. Hugh’s pistol replenishes ammo over time.
Other weapons have limited ammo. Favorites in testing included a shockwave shotgun and a grenade launcher that knocked enemies down for hacks.
Certain weapons aid hacking directly. Stasis nets hold enemies, and sticky bombs remove rows from the hacking grid.
Advanced systems
A heat gauge mechanic rewards sustained hits and hacks. Maxing heat makes robots kneel for a critical strike.
Mods change playstyles by shifting power between hacking and gun damage. Build options made the game feel almost roguelike.
The reviewer spent roughly 12 hours exploring these systems and still found new strategies to test.
Setting, story, and characters
The game is set at a Delphi Corporation research facility on the moon. The base uses a special lunar material for extensive 3D printing.
Delphi has recreated parts of Earth, including a facsimile of Times Square and a forest area. These areas break up the typical moon-base corridor design.
Hugh and Diana
Hugh evolves into a caring, father-figure role for Diana. Their bond drives much of the emotional core.
Diana enjoys REM, short for Read Earth Memories. REM are 3D recreations of ordinary Earth items. She sometimes returns the favor with crayon drawings.
Small activities, like hide and seek, add warmth between larger combat sequences.
Narrative critique
The story focuses on a rogue AI and corporate surveillance. These themes echo familiar warnings from older sci-fi.
Some elements, like the emphasis on 3D printing, felt less striking today than when the game was first announced. Critics noted parts of the narrative as derivative.
Development timeline and release
Capcom revealed Pragmata during the June 2020 PlayStation 5 showcase. The game underwent a long development cycle afterward.
Trailers included playful delay messages during the extended wait. Pragmata released on April 17 for multiple platforms.
Available systems include Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. Filmogaz.com reviewed a prerelease PS5 download code provided by Capcom.
Assessment
Pragmata’s narrative sometimes feels familiar. Its combat and hacking systems, however, are inventive and memorable.
Pragmata Triumphs with Moon Landing Success in gameplay innovation. That strength makes the title worth trying for genre fans.
