Pragmata Review: A Superb Shooter With an Old-School Soul

Capcom Does It Again: Pragmata Is a Modern Love Letter to the Golden Age of Sci-Fi Shooters | PCMag

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Editors' Choice 4.0 Excellent this.$refs.template.innerHTML, onCreate: (instance) => this.tippyInstance = instance, onShow: (instance) => { this.escapeHandler = (e) => { if (e.key === 'Escape') instance.hide(); }; window.addEventListener('keydown', this.escapeHandler); }, onHide: (instance) => { if (this.escapeHandler) { window.removeEventListener('keydown', this.escapeHandler); this.escapeHandler = null; } }, onMount: (instance) => { const closeBtn = instance.popper.querySelector('[data-tooltip-close]'); if (closeBtn) closeBtn.addEventListener('click', () => instance.hide()); }, }; }, }">   What Our Ratings Mean 5.0 - Exemplary: Near perfection, ground-breaking 4.5 - Outstanding: Best in class, acts as a benchmark for measuring competitors 4.0 - Excellent: A performance, feature, or value leader in its class, with few shortfalls 3.5 - Good: Does what the product should do, and does so better than many competitors 3.0 - Average: Does what the product should do, and sits in the middle of the pack 2.5 - Fair: We have some reservations, buy with caution 2.0 - Subpar: We do not recommend, buy with extreme caution 1.5 - Poor: Do not buy this product 1.0 - Dismal: Don't even think about buying this product Read Our Editorial Mission Statement and Testing Methodologies. The Bottom Line Small in scope but big in ideas and production value, Pragmata features tense, hack-and-shoot gameplay that shouldn't be missed. MSRP $59.99 Visit Site See It PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

Pros & Cons Unique 'hack-and-shoot' gameplay Excellent controls Satisfying gunplay Emotionally rich narrative Incredible visuals Simple puzzles Boss fights lack challenge Hacking can be inconsistent at times Pragmata Specs Name Value tr:nth-of-type(n+6)]:hidden" :class="{ '[&>tr:nth-of-type(n+6)]:!table-row': open }"> Games Platform PlayStation 5, PC, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Games Genre Action ESRB Rating T for Teen

Capcom's been on a tear recently, thanks to several excellent sequels, remakes, and new IPs released across many genres and platforms. Still, I was initially on the fence about the long-gestating Pragmata ($59.99, reviewed on PlayStation 5 Pro; also available on PC, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series consoles), a title with a unique "hack-and-shoot" gimmick. But how do I feel about it after 15 hours under my belt? I love it. Pragmata is an excellent sci-fi shooter with an old-school feel that recalls classics like P.N.03 and Vanquish. For its tight gameplay and emotional narrative, Pragmata is yet another feather in Capcom's illustrious cap, earning our Editors' Choice award.What Kind of Game Is Pragmata?Pragmata puts you in the space suit of one Hugh Williams. Arriving on a routine mission to an unresponsive space station situated on the moon, a moonquake (what else would you call an earthquake on the moon?) sends the space station into disarray. Hugh is wounded in a fall but is treated by Diana, a mysterious little girl who is an android with immense hacking capabilities. When they discover that the onboard AI named IDUS is not so pleased with Hugh’s arrival, they must work together to fight through the hordes of evil bots and find a way to contact Earth. (Credit: Capcom/PCMag) What sets Pragmata apart from your average third-person shooter is that you must learn to hack as well as shoot. Combat is broken into two parts: Locking onto an enemy to initiate a hack, which is essentially a quick game of Snake, controlled by the controller’s face buttons. If the hack is successful, the enemy will crack open like a clam, revealing its glowing weak points for Hugh to shoot. The kicker is that this is all happening in real time: There’s no cinematic slowdown, no dramatic pause, so you have to still dodge incoming enemy attacks while navigating the hacking puzzle.At first, it feels like you're doing several unrelated things at once. Against one enemy, things are simple enough, but once multiple enemies are introduced, each with their own attack patterns, things get pretty hectic, pretty fast. There’s certainly a learning curve at first, which led to some clunky encounters in those early hours of the game. But once it clicks, the process becomes second nature. Similar Products

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