„Pragmata“: Gripping Moon Adventure
Original and spectacular. Capcom's sci-fi action-adventure "Pragmata" features an unusual duo on a deadly moon mission.
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A bit of “Dead Space”, some “Resident Evil”, and a touch of “Death Stranding” – Capcom's first major new brand in almost 15 years successfully borrows from familiar role models. “Pragmata” transports fans to a future where we no longer just dream of landing on the moon but have long since conquered it. And not without consequences. A huge research station on Earth's satellite becomes the scene of a battle for the future of humanity.
Unusual Duo
Hugh is a loner. Left alone, adopted, and unbound. Somehow, in this style, he made it to a rescue mission on the moon, but as soon as he arrives, everything descends into chaos. His team dies in a moonquake, and suddenly he is all alone again. Then, out of nowhere, a child-like android named Diana appears and helps him get back on his feet. The human and the so-called “Pragmata” must stick together to stop a force that wants to destroy the world.
The usual story of a misguided AI, a scientist playing God, and an unusual friendship is told. All typical and essential themes of science fiction, but here they are told excitingly in around 12 game hours. It's a shame that Hugh's transformation from a loner to a caring protector and the question “What does it mean to be human?” are only hinted at. There could have been more to it.
In the end, “Pragmata” is mainly a third-person action-adventure that draws inspiration from major role models. The scenario and gameplay are reminiscent of “Dead Space” and “Resident Evil”, with a few self-reflective comments on “Death Stranding“. At its core, players shoot their way through six sections, including boss fights, upgrade weapons and abilities, and scour the area for useful loot. Thanks to the in-house RE Engine, it's staged powerfully and effectively.
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Hacking Allowed
Only Hugh, who carries Diana on his back, is controlled. The special feature: Diana's hacking abilities. During combat, a grid opens up where players link nodes with the press of a button to weaken enemies. As the game progresses, players find hacking tools like "Heat" or "Shock", which, when combined, can quickly bring down even large enemies. When they are on the ground, Hugh can inflict particularly high damage on them with a special attack.
Diana's abilities are also useful outside of combat. For example, she can open doors or defuse traps through a small dexterity test. Sometimes everything comes together: while players fight robots, they can simultaneously defuse jammers. This creates a small adrenaline rush due to the time pressure.
"Pragmata" im Test (5 Bilder)
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)Unlike Diana, Hugh relies entirely on brute force weapons. He uses shotguns, assault rifles, or rocket launchers to deal damage or freezes enemies with a stasis bubble. Additionally, Hugh can cover small distances in the air with his booster jets. The combination of weapon and hacking abilities sounds complicated at first glance, but it's easy to manage. Players usually have enough time to link the nodes. Later in the game, players even find a tool to automate the process. However, this also taps into some of Diana's energy reserves.
Between battles, the duo visits their home base. There they can upgrade weapons and hacking tools or increase their health points. A small robot sends them on training simulations, where they usually have to defeat enemies under time pressure or reach a goal within a certain time. Silly, but useful: In a bingo game, Hugh and Diana can unlock data about enemies or expand their medical kit.
Exciting Battles
Equipped like this, exciting, though sometimes chaotic, battles ensue. Especially when multiple enemy types attack, players have to keep an overview and dodge quickly. While normal androids attack with swords, others charge their attacks, shoot at our duo with rockets, or trigger deadly ground waves with a jump. Additionally, Diana can analyze every enemy for weak points. Some require a headshot, while others are particularly vulnerable on their backs.
Highlights of the game include boss battles against giant robots. When a giant mech jumps onto the street at the end of a level, it's reminiscent of games like “Death Stranding” or “Vanquish”. Our duo constantly dodges kicks or punches and waits for the right moment to hack. Then it's time to shoot. It takes time, but it's easy to master on the "Normal" difficulty. Only the final boss will test players' frustration tolerance a bit.
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During the spectacular action scenes, it's not immediately noticeable that the missions only send us from one kill room to the next and let us hack a few doors. There's nothing to puzzle over here. Visually, the moon base turns out to be more varied than expected. From a typical research base, it goes into a dystopian vision of New York and into a kind of forest area.
Conclusion
Hack successful. “Pragmata” provides an entertaining sci-fi action-adventure with exciting battles and visual impact. Especially the hacking abilities provide an original tactical game element and set the game apart from the crowd. All game elements mesh wonderfully, nothing hinders the gameplay, and the difficulty level is pleasantly moderate.
It hardly matters that the game borrows from major role models. It's a shame, however, that the creators haven't made much more of it, as a few puzzles would have been suitable for the concept. Also, while the story is exciting, it relies on many clichés and somewhat forgets the personal drama behind the characters. Thus, it remains primarily an exciting and compactly staged action-adventure for sci-fi fans.
“Pragmata” will be released on April 17 for Windows, PS5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch 2. USK age rating 12. It costs approx. €60. For our review, we played through the game with the Windows version.
(vbr)
