Pragmata: Xbox Series X Review

Developed by Capcom
Published by Capcom
Platform: PS5

If you've ever thought the perfect game would include shooting rogue robots powered by a vengeful AI and a hacking mini-game, then does Capcom have just the thing for you.

This latest sci-fi game is a blast, an incredible looking game that really does take the genre to the moon and back - literally.

When a team of engineers is sent out to the Moon to investigate a malfunctioning research station, disaster strikes. As the only member of the group left, Hugh is tasked with trying to find a way out of the station and back home - as well as solving the problem of the wrecked space station. However, he's not alone in this - when he comes to after the initial disaster, he finds a young girl tending to his wounds, an android on the station who befriends him and promises to help him escape the vengeful mechanical droids which have been awoken by an angry AI.

Glistening corridors and eerie areas mix to potent effect in Pragmata, a game that meshes I, Robot horrors with 2001: A Space Odyssey's aesthetics. It's no lie to say this game looks stunning - every edge of the characters is pristinely drawn and visualised and the marauding robots feel like the sharp creatures you'd get off a 3D printer.

There's a day-after-tomorrow ethos to the look of the game which makes it feel realistic and in its opening moments, the sense of scale on the Moon and within the base is just immersive and perfect. 

The game takes a little while to settle into its mechanics and the hacking ideology that it's pushing. The young girl, whom Hugh names Diana, can scrabble up on his back and hack into robots when they attack and open areas that have been locked. It's no lie to say the minigame takes a bit to get used to, given it happens simultaneously with Hugh being attacked - but once you've got into the swing of what's desired, it becomes like second nature.

If the sci-fi edges are perfect in Pragmata, the more human side of the tale is not lost in the mix. As Diana and Hugh grow closer, a father-daughter style bond emerges, something which is both touching and commendable, without being mawkish. A central hub for upgrades and interactions proves to be a welcome distraction from the fighting and exploration, with chances to build and nurture the relationship.

Pragmata may have been announced back in 2020 and taken a while to arrive, but its final destination is one of success - this is a game that impresses emotionally as much as it does visually - and for a new IP, it shows that originality is still key to any game.