Capcom announced Pragmata during a PlayStation 5 stream back in 2020. Five years later, the upcoming science fiction action-adventure game received a new trailer at Sony’s latest State of Play, reminding everyone that it’s still in active development and on the way.
During Summer Game Fest Play Days, I spent hands-on time with a brief demo and walked away even more curious than before. Here are my thoughts on the overall experience and what you can expect when it drops in 2026.
Man Meets Machine
Pragmata is a futuristic science fiction action-adventure game set on the moon aboard a lunar space station. The story revolves around Spacefarer Hugh Williams and a child android named Diana. The unlikely duo must work together to stop a hostile AI that has taken over the station and has several enemies running amok. Hugh also aims to get back to Earth, but will need Diana’s help to do so.
The demo started in what felt like the opening moments of the game. Hugh is shown unconscious and visibly hurt, lying on the ground. Diana appears out of nowhere, trying to wake him up, and stumbles across a device she uses to heal him. When he awakens, he meets her for the first time and is puzzled by what happened. Their meeting is then cut short as a hostile android moves towards them, ready to attack.
This is the point in the demo where I was introduced to the clever gameplay hook with this title. Diana can hack shielded enemies and objects, leaving them vulnerable for Hugh to shoot. The hacking mini-game functions as a real-time puzzle-solving mechanic that involves pressing buttons and following a path to a designated green box. Enemies continue walking towards you the whole time, so there is a sense of tension in completing the task and executing your target before it’s too late.
In addition to hacking shielded enemies, Diana can also hack objects that might function as obstacles in your path. After defeating a few enemies, the main objective was to reach the top floor of the space station. This required activating five nodes to use the elevator. These objectives were very straightforward and had a good balance of hacking and using different types of guns to kill enemies. After finally getting to the top floor, the demo concluded with a tease of a huge boss battle.
Pragmata is another beautifully looking game by Capcom. Thanks to the power of the RE engine, character models, architecture, lighting, and shadows all look top-notch. The design and wide array of colors perfectly fit the dystopian setting and themes of exploration and discovery.
This same rule of thumb applies to the sounds both within the station environment and when hacking or eliminating enemies. You genuinely feel like you are a part of the experience, which more than proves that Capcom is on the right track so far with crafting this world.
Verdict So Far
Pragmata is already shaping up to be another stellar release from Capcom. While the demo was brief, I’m eager to continue exploring this universe and see where Hugh and Diana’s adventure goes next. Stay tuned for more details, and let us know if you plan on checking out this game next year.
Pragmata debuts in 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
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