She’s so cuuuute! Ahem. Sorry. As you may well gather, Pragmata is a touching story about what it means to be a parent. Yes, there are evil robots trying to kill you. Fights on skyscrapers. Robot worms that try to devour you. Rockets. Lasers. And an entire moon base dedicated to your absolute and utter destruction. But none of that matters because… Diana.
Pragmata is a gripping game that might honestly be a contender for Game of the Year. The story is touching. The gameplay is unique. And the world is gorgeous. I can, without hesitation, say that I was more drawn in by this game than I’ve been in ages. There’s always something to do, always someplace to explore, and always something to upgrade.
While the story itself is fairly linear, your approach to combat is highly customizable. That means every player has the opportunity to come at challenges in unique ways. Pragmata gives you the tools to build your playstyle and approach combat however you prefer. But really, you can forget all that. All that matters is your robot daughter, Diana.
Pragmata is available on Steam, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PlayStation 5 for $59.99.
Story – I Want to Go to Earth!
Pragmata is set in the not-too-distant future, where humanity has discovered a miracle substance on the moon. In a nutshell, it allows us to 3D print anything. Cars. Buildings. Robots. Books. And even little robot girls. Your team lands at The Cradle, the scientific research center built around all this amazing technology, and everything goes wrong. The bots rise up. The central AI actively tries to kill you. And if not for the quick actions of a little blonde robot girl, you’d be dead alongside your crew.
This is Diana. And no matter what else happens in the rest of the game, this girl is your story. Your world. Yes, Pragmata is what we affectionately called a “Dad Simulator,” ala God of War, but it’s so much more. Alongside Diana, who is learning to be human as she adventures with you, you unravel the mystery of The Cradle, the rogue AI, and the mysterious other girl named Eight. Can you solve the mystery and bring your new daughter home to Earth so she can see the real ocean?
Along the way you’ll gain new weapons and abilities, but that’s not what you’re really here for. Sure, Pragmata gives you guns and hacking tools for Diana that make fights easier and more engaging, but the real draw is Diana herself.
Remember how you can 3D print anything? That includes toys and little slices of Earth for her to experience. And really? That’s the magic – watching your robot daughter color with crayons and ambush you with a water gun. I’d throttle a thousand rogue AI abominations with my bare hands to see her smile.
I will kill every robot in the Cradle to get her a skateboard.
Gameplay -Hacking All Systems Now!
Pragmata breaks down into two main focuses: balancing all the mechanics at once and customizing your loadout. Both are important, so let’s break them down separately, shall we?
Combat Confusion – ADHD Mechanics
The combat of Pragmata is truly where this game may lose you. I am not exaggerating when I say that by the end, you may literally press every button on your controller – sometimes all at once. It starts simple enough: you encounter robots that need to be shot, but all of them have shields—or more accurately, armored shells that can be hacked open to expose weak points.
Diana, your adorable robot daughter, can break those defenses with a minigame that runs simultaneously with combat. All you have to do is use your face buttons – A, B, X, Y or Triangle, Circle, X, and Square depending on your controller – to navigate the hacking grid while dodging attacks and maybe even firing back.
And isn’t she sweet? When you face tougher bosses she reminds you to dodge. That’s right bumper. Meanwhile, you’re shooting with the right trigger, aiming with the left trigger, cleansing corrupted filament with the left bumper, swapping weapons on the D-pad, navigating the hacking grid with the face buttons, moving with the left stick, and looking with the right.
Oh, and that’s before activating auto-hack with right click, specific hacking powers with left click, and triggering your super abilities with both sticks. Yes, sometimes all within a five second window, if not all at once. Is it hard? Absolutely. Can you get used to it? Probably. Pragmata puts the pressure on you, but never asks more than you can handle.
If the bot is taller than 3 feet and doesn’t have long hair, it’s not a friend.
The Loadout – Custom Tools for Custom Play
Along the way you’ll unlock different weapons to suit your playstyle, mods to augment your approach, and nodes that you can tag during hacking to add extra effects. All of these systems come together to let you shape Pragmata around what works best for you.
Not a fan of hacking? Lean into mods that expand Diana’s resource pool so she can auto-hack more often. Prefer a sniper’s life? There are options for increased long-range damage. Pragmata offers a wide range of combinations between weapons, mods, and nodes to fit your style.
Your weapons come in four flavors: the primary unit, attack units, tactical units, and defensive units. Your primary is your trusty side-arm, the weapon you’ll always have, but you can swap out thes others for different strategies. Pragmata gives you access to everything from shotguns to missile launchers, net guns to sticky bombs, and drones to personal shields.
Once you’ve found the weapon that suits your style, you need mods to compliment them. If you’re rocking the shotgun a lot, Pragmata offers you mods that boost damage at close range. Find the mods that fit your build and those robots won’t stand a chance.
There are many different mods to augment your play style.
Bonus Round – The After Game
The smallest of spoiler warnings here, so feel free to skip this section. Everything in Pragmata comes together to create a game that is so close to perfect. But one thing holds it back from that elusive perfection: the “True” Ending. This is a Capcom game, so with all the passion, emotion, and heart-pumping action, they decided to tack on an extra challenge after the credits to unlock it.
While I won’t spoil it, I will say this: it’s not worth the effort. What is already a perfectly strong, emotional ending is undercut by the sheer effort required for this extra mode compared to what it gives you. I’m all for difficult post-game challenges, but the reward should match the effort – and I have to warn you, here it doesn’t. Play it. Enjoy it. 100% it if you like. But don’t go into “Unknown Signal” expecting something worth what Pragmata asks of you.
There’s still a ton to do in Pragmata after the credits. Clear all the BINGO boards. Grab every collectible. Dive into New Game+. But when you select “Unknown Signal,” do it with the intention of simply having fun with more of the game. For many players, the reward at the end just isn’t worth the effort.
If you enjoyed beating this the first time, I have excellent news for you.
Graphics & Audio – It’s More Beautiful Than the Moon
Pragmata rewards patience, it rewards exploration, and it rewards creativity. But more than any of that, it rewards having a good graphics card. On optimal settings, Pragmata is gorgeous, and even on modest ones, the beauty and attention to detail are stellar. From Diana’s hair to the lunar surface. From the tangle of vines and branches in the Terra Dome to the shining lights of a 3D-printed New York City. Around every turn, there is something waiting to astound you visually.
And let’s not forget the beauty that assaults our ears. Yes, Pragmata’s soundtrack is lovely, but the soundscape is even more impressive. This game requires you to keep your head on a swivel, and to that end, sounds are embedded everywhere to help you orient yourself.
From finding hidden collectibles to picking up on invisible enemies to hearing the rumble of burrowing giant worm robots, the audio tells a story as rich as the visuals. Even the cute slap, slap, slap of Diana’s bare feet as she runs around the Shelter brings the world to life.
Combined, Pragmata is a treat for the senses. If you’re on console or have a rig that can handle it, let the work the developers put in truly shine. The lighting, the sound design, even the voice acting – it all comes together to create a rich, complete experience that reminds us games truly are an art form.
-
- As you move through the base you’ll find lots of secrets.
-
- Even downloading data is CUTE!
-
- Some of the areas are bright and colorful, a nice break from the gray corridors.
-
- Collecting weapons is half the fun!
Pragmata was reviewed on PC.
