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Developer (Platform): Capcom (PlayStation 5 Pro)
Publisher (Release): Capcom (2026)
Length: 10-15 hours
Genres: Sci-Fi; Action; Third-Person; Platformer; Puzzler
❗️Disclaimers❗️:
this review contains low-level spoilers
recommendation: must play for fans of fast-paced, eclectic action
👍 Pros 👍
A unique blend of third-person shooter, platformer, and puzzler
Hugh and Diana provide a lovable and emotional duo that forms the heart of the game
Stunning visuals showcase vast set pieces and excellent level design begging to be explored
👎 Cons 👎
Story is serviceable but short and themes have been drained dry by the genre
Supporting cast isn’t given the time to shine
👀 Synopsis & Trailer 👀
In the near future, humans have developed Lunafilament, a material that can be used to create almost anything, so long as its users have the right data.
When communication is lost with the lunar station dedicated to the research and development of this material, a response team is dispatched. However, a massive lunar quake hits soon after their arrival.
Hugh Williams – separated from his team, unconscious and badly injured – is discovered by Diana, a mysterious being in the form of a young girl. She is a Pragmata, a unique android created using Lunafilament. With the station’s Artificial Intelligence IDUS determined to remove them by any means necessary, Hugh and Diana will have to fight their way to the heart of the mystery if they ever want to return to Earth.
🛎️ Introduction 🛎️
Pragmata is one those rare purchases where I knew next to nothing about it, but, with Capcom’s track record and riding off the high of Resident Evil: Requiem, I couldn’t help myself. The aura of ‘what is it?’ was strong and, now I know, I’m over the moon I gave the developer’s fresh IP a chance. With its inspirations on its sleeve, Pragmata neatly slots a variety of genres together in such a unique way while injecting an addictive, Metroidvania-esque gameplay loop to have players rapt as they journey through this third-person, sci-fi action bonanza.
🧩 Plots 🧩
Cold and sterile, Pragmata uses its futuristic Lunar landscape to travel the well-trod road of a humanity reliant on artificial intelligence. It’s topical but thematically dry. Capcom doesn’t really push the conversation past the surface, doing an admirable but underwhelming job through supplemental memos and environmental storytelling to showcase the darker parts of handing autonomy to a machine.
It’s nothing new, sure, but I still enjoyed the exploration, with some nice philosophical talking points where purpose and fulfillment and their importance to the human experience collide.
It’s so small in the grand scheme of things…
Pragmata’s core plot feels a little cobbled together; it’s a game where characters, visuals, and gameplay are kings, leaving its story to its inspirations without adding much flavour to help it stand apart. The mystery of what happened on the Moon base just about carries the narrative while predictable twists and turns feel fine but not particularly punchy.
Time for the big guns
That said, Capcom still takes those frayed threads and ties together one helluva finale. For me, it’s one of their best, with pulse-pounding action colliding with some bold sacrifices to create a bittersweet but inarguably hopeful ending. A secret ending does threaten my satisfaction just a little and I can see some decisions being reversed for the sake of franchising, but, for now, Pragmata sticks the landing on an otherwise narratively bumpy ride.
‘It’s topical but thematically dry.’
🎭 Characters 🎭
While it dusts off cold themes of rebel AIs and greedy humans, Pragmata contrasts this with a warm and lovable duo of Hugh, a human engineer, and Diana, an android. Where the core plot follows predictable paths, Hugh and Diana offer a much more optimistic look at what organic and synthetic collaboration should look like, using its quieter moments and passive conversations to contrast Hugh’s experience with the world with Diana’s naive but wondrous innocence.
Humanity can be found in the strangest of places
My only real gripe would be the seemingly dropped thread surrounding Hugh’s distrust of robots. The game sets this up during the intro before it vanishes 5 minutes later, leaving a little hole where I expected Hugh’s arc to involve a slow-burn thaw of him coming to trust and believe in Diana. Instead, the relationship is forged tightly from the get-go, leaving itself the heavier task of justification rather than cultivation.
Humanity can even be found outside humanity itself
The supporting cast is limited and underdeveloped, with the story very quickly brushing past any mention or inclusion of characters outside our core duo. The game’s isolated landscape helps mitigate and redirect the focus back to the unrelenting and unashamed father-daughter dynamics, and, while an uphill battle, Capcom create a genuine beating heart at the centre of Pragmata that should not be missed.
‘…unrelenting and unashamed father-daughter dynamics…’
👾 Gameplay and Graphics 👾
Gameplay is where Capcom ends any sense of safety. A unique blend of third-person shooter, platformer, and puzzler gets even more bonkers with Diana’s hacking abilities simultaneously tied into the mix. You’ll need focus, and even that’s putting it lightly, with a forgiving introductory period transitioning into a brutal battle of survival. You can’t just shoot your way through, strategy and planning are crucial, and even failure becomes a mechanic for progression.
The variety of enemies, weapons, and upgrade capabilities emphasise the caution, creating an addictive loop of testing and mastering different styles for different situations. It might feel overwhelming to begin with, but Capcom do an excellent job showing restraint, tightly refining the experience just enough to suit any player that braves the journey.
Das a big, big boy…
Visually, Pragmata oozes futuristic sci-fi with just enough clunky, rustic charm to keep it believable. It delivers some gorgeous set pieces and level design that begs the player to explore every nook and cranny. Exploration makes satisfying use of backtracking as abilities are unlocked and mini-challenges scattered throughout put upgrades and temporary powerups to solid use.
Sound design and the music overall are both strong if lacking in an identity while voice acting can shine, especially during emotional moments, only to feel a bit dull and inconsistent in places.
The simple things
Replayability harkens back to Capcom’s glory days, giving the player, with no wait time and no charge, a plethora of additional content to enjoy. New Game+, Unknown Signal (additional challenges set just before the end of the game), and Lunatic difficulty (a hit or miss mode that feels designed more to extend time than challenge) all provide dozens of hours of extra scouring for collectibles and costumes to emptily wear with pride.
‘…a forgiving introductory period transitioning into a brutal battle of survival.’
💭 Final Thoughts 💭
Pragmata is a stunning fresh IP from Capcom, delivering gorgeous visuals, a dynamic father-daughter duo, and gameplay with a special blend of third-person shooter, platformer, and puzzler that wears its inspirations on its sleeve while still feeling unique. Challenges, extra game modes, collectibles, all and more await the player’s exploration, making experimentation an addictive and satisfying core of the experience.
The wealth of content can’t quite hide the brevity of the story and where our protagonists hit high emotional moments, supporting characters and underlying themes never quite scratch past the surface. That said, Pragmata still manages to end on a high, gathering its plot points into a pulse-pounding and surprisingly poignant finale I’d argue is one of Capcom’s best.
It’s that finale that leaves me conflicted. I want more of that thoughtful gameplay while simultaneously dreading the consequences of franchising on the bittersweet but hopeful emotional point we’re left on.
The Phoenix Project 