Of Moons and Men (and Robots)

Pragmata takes place on the Moon, specifically a man-made base called the Cradle, where a corporation called Delphi had discovered and started mining a new ore, producing a material called Lunafilament, which can essentially 3D print anything that comes to mind.

At one point, the Cradle went silent, prompting Hugh Williams, the protagonist, to investigate the facility alongside his team. Things go south quickly as the base’s AI system IDUS goes rogue, leading to Hugh being separated from the rest of his crew. Among the ruins, he is recovered by Diana, a so-called “Pragmata,” a type of sentient android, and together the pair begins their journey of discovering what happened at the Cradle and finding a way back home to Earth.

The game thrusts you almost immediately into one of the most unique and interesting settings ever put on screen. The Moon and the Cradle are mysterious, enriched by the presence of Lunafilament and the rogue IDUS that gives rise to hostile robots crawling out of 3D printers with the sole intention of taking you and Diana out.

It’s packed with action, with fights awaiting the pair around every corner, but the vacuum of space and the setting lend the game a tinge of cosmic horror that permeates its otherwise compelling atmosphere. Diana and Hugh navigate all sorts of environments, from run-of-the-mill space sci-fi facilities to entire Earth-like biomes made out of Lunafilament, prompting you to always explore and progress just to see what else you’ll run into.

At the center of your adventure is the Shelter, as the game features a level-based design similar to that of Devil May Cry 5, but with a central hub added on top. You can either progress to various “fast travel” points on the levels or return to previous ones to explore them more and collect all sorts of collectibles.

As Diana and Hugh form a strong familial bond, where Hugh slowly embraces a fatherly role to Diana, who behaves as a child, you also get opportunities to make the child happy by bringing her various presents you can discover. The bond between them grows so naturally that I found myself going out of my way just to make Diana happy—and I rarely step out of the beaten path in games like this. That says a lot.

Guns and Magical Hacks

Pragmata has a dual gameplay system where you play as both Hugh and Diana. Hugh is your main character, moving around the world and using traditional weaponry. He starts with a handgun that upgrades to an AR, while also finding various support units, each serving a different purpose.

Diana is the hacker. By holding down Alt (I played the PC version) while aiming, you can open her hacking menu, navigating to hit nodes. Early nodes make enemies vulnerable, with later ones allowing for various effects like confusion or freezing enemies in place.

You can perform hacks and shoot simultaneously, creating a satisfying gameplay experience. Handling multiple enemies while executing hacks with Diana makes for a fun challenge, especially as you unlock special moves and abilities.

Boss fights also offer excitement, each presenting a new challenge. I didn’t die during my initial 10-hour playthrough, but some bosses required careful strategy to defeat. Diana’s hacking is crucial for both combat and progression, allowing you to unlock barriers and solve puzzles.

Back at the Shelter, new guns and upgrades can be unlocked via CABIN, an AI system where you can play Bingo using CABIN Coins. You earn these through gifting Diana or completing challenges in the training simulator.

In many ways, Pragmata feels like the culmination of various gameplay mechanics, intertwining emotional storytelling with solid action.