Pragmata [REVIEW] – Shoot for the Moon 

It feels like Capcom can hardly put a foot wrong these days, but even so, Pragmata could be seen as a risky move for the company. Ever since its initial reveal all the way back in 2020, fans have been wondering exactly what this bizarre sci-fi adventure would entail, and six years on, I’m happy to report that it’s actually something pretty special. It’s a beautifully focused, tightly paced action game that offers wonderful combat that’s complemented by some genuinely creative mechanics, and with one million sales already achieved, I think it can be seen as yet another success for the company. 

Check out some screenshots down below: 

Pragmata whisks us away to a sprawling lunar research facility that has been experimenting with a miraculous new resource called lunum ore, from which scientists have created Lunafilament, a material capable of 3D-printing pretty much… well… anything you can imagine. But, of course, things have gone horribly wrong. A rogue AI named IDUS has taken over the facility, using the Lunafilament to churn out an army of hostile robots, so you step into the space boots of Hugh Williams, an astronaut initially sent to investigate the sudden radio silence, to try and stop it. After a disastrous moonquake separates him from his crew, Hugh finds himself fighting for survival alongside Diana, an incredibly advanced android who looks and acts exactly like a six-year-old girl. 

What really anchors the whole game is the relationship between these two leads. Modern games have a habit of relying on the grumpy older fella joined by a bubbly but somewhat traumatised younger companion (I’m looking at you, The Last of Us), but Pragmata completely bypasses it. Hugh is just a genuinely nice, supportive bloke who loves his crew, whilst Diana approaches the grim reality of the ruined moon base with a sense of endearing childlike innocence and wonder – their bond grows naturally throughout the adventure, and it’s incredibly heartwarming to watch. The overarching plot is perhaps a bit safe and relies a little too heavily on scattered audio logs to fill in the background lore, but you’ll honestly be so invested in Hugh and Diana’s growing father-daughter dynamic that the weaker worldbuilding hardly matters. 

When it comes to the gameplay, Pragmata absolutely excels. On the surface, it looks like a standard third-person shooter, but you’ll quickly learn that standard bullets barely put a dent in the robotic enemies. To actually do some damage, you have to rely on Diana’s unique hacking abilities – whilst you are actively dodging laser fire and running around the battlefield, you can command Diana to hack a target, which brings up a grid interface on your screen. Using the face buttons on your controller, you have to quickly navigate through this grid to hit a specific node, which forces the enemy to open up its armour and expose its weak spots… all whilst trying to shoot at the damn thing at the same time. It might sound a little daunting (and it is initially a bit frantic as you deal with new foes), but it quickly becomes second nature, adding an ever-evolving, brilliant layer of strategy to the combat that helps make Pragmata feel incredibly unique when compared to similar titles in the genre.  

“With Pragmata, Capcom has delivered a stunningly original combat system, a gorgeous world that rewards curiosity, and two endearing protagonists you will absolutely root for.” 

The weaponry system of the game is equally clever, with players armed with a pistol with infinite (albeit recharging) ammo. You’ll also find heavier weapons printed from Lunafilament, but there’s a catch: once these secondary weapons run out of bullets, they disintegrate entirely. This forces you to constantly scavenge the environment and adapt your playstyle on the fly as you face off against foes of varying shapes, sizes, and danger levels, with players having to tactically determine where and when to use specific weaponry. You are able to re-print additional weapons at the game’s safe hub area that you return to on the regular (more on that in a bit), but with ammo limited, there’s a satisfying emphasis placed on preparation and clever thinking in each showdown. 

Between the frantic firefights, the game leans heavily into some fantastic exploration and platforming. The lunar base is designed with a real Metroidvania flavour, packed with interconnected corridors, hidden shortcuts, and paths that you can only access once you’ve unlocked new traversal abilities. Admittedly, movement can occasionally feel a tiny bit clunky when you are trying to navigate fussy ledges, whilst there were a few areas that I felt like I should have been able to climb atop but couldn’t. Luckily, it’s rarely a dealbreaker – especially since exploration feels so rewarding thanks to the wealth of resources and collectibles that there are to find… just expect the occasional unfortunate misstep on the way. 

Your base of operations is the Shelter, a safe hub where you can catch your breath, interact with a friendly AI named Cabin, and spend your hard-earned currency on various suit upgrades, weapon mods, and cosmetics, bringing a steady sense of progress to your skillset as you push further through the adventure. You can also use the Shelter to print out Earth-like objects from Lunafilament, like campfires, sandcastles, and globes, just to watch Diana marvel at them. It’s entirely optional, but it adds so much soul to the game and really helps make Diana one of the best aspects of the entire experience. Oh, and the VR challenges? They’re a real treat – make sure you don’t skip them. 

Check out some screenshots down below: 

Visually, the RE Engine continues to work magic, and playing on the PlayStation 5 Pro, the game offers stunning vistas and runs flawlessly. The sci-fi setting feels like an exciting change of pace from other titles using the engine, and it really makes for some wonderful locales that are both creative in design and gorgeous to look at. Performance is top-notch too, and whilst I haven’t tried it on a base PlayStation 5, I haven’t seen any complaints. 

Once the credits roll, there is plenty of reason to stick around, with players unlocking a New Game Plus mode, a punishing Lunatic difficulty, and a post-game challenge mode called Unknown Signal. Admittedly, some hardcore action fans might find these endgame modes a little lacking in true variety, but Capcom have a good reputation for post-release support, so I’m sure this isn’t the last we’ll see of Pragmata. 

Developer: Capcom 
Publisher: Capcom 
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC 
Website: https://www.capcom-games.com/pragmata/en-uk/