After nearly 3 hours of Pragmata, it’s cemented that 2026 is Capcom’s year – we’re just living in it

by

I won’t go into too much detail, as I’ve now played Pragmata twice. We recently spent almost three hours playing a portion of the game – specifically, the second main area, which was featured in the trailer that announced the game’s new release date of April 17th. This demo was unique because it allowed us to experience a complete section of the game from start to finish, unlike previous test versions.

Pragmata’s core shooting and hacking mechanics are unchanged. However, the game introduces a hub called the Shelter, which players can access from any save point. Here, they can spend in-game currency to improve Hugh and Diana’s tools. You’ll find currency throughout the game world in crates, and a separate, rarer currency is used for more significant upgrades, new weapons, and modifications to your equipment.

While weapons are a core part of the game, modifications (or “mods”) weren’t shown in earlier versions. These mods let you customize how you play, offering unique upgrades that complement your chosen weapons. For instance, we found mods that either boost damage at close range or increase damage at long range, perfectly suited for shotguns and railguns respectively. There are many other mods with even more specific effects, and you can upgrade Hugh to equip several at once. As you explore the lunar research station, you’ll also find Cabin coins, Earth-based toys, and miniature Cabin statues that Diana can play with and display in the Shelter.

Cabin coins let you quickly improve your experience by unlocking upgrades on a special “bingo board.” You can earn things like new items and cosmetic changes, and the more bingo lines you complete, the better your rewards. To make things more interesting, sometimes entire sections of the board are locked until you complete a challenging area called a “Red Zone.” These are tough combat challenges that require a key to start. Completing Red Zones not only gives you a reward, but also opens up the full potential of your Cabin coin earnings – skipping them means missing out on upgrades!

Before playing Pragmata, I was curious about the hacking sections. It was fine as a basic mechanic, but I wondered if it would evolve or introduce new challenges. I’m happy to report that it does! One interesting addition is a drone that drops rewards, but you have to actively chase it while hacking. This drone’s hacking interface is different from others – it has a set path and warning signs. I didn’t hit any of those warnings, but it’s clear you can only hack this drone in a specific way, requiring quick and precise actions. It doesn’t attack, so it’s manageable if you’re used to the other hacking challenges. I could easily see Capcom using this type of drone in a tough late-game fight to really test players.

The second type of obstacle is like a “firewall” – it stops Diana from hacking. These firewalls appear on top of the hacking grid. To open up the grid and allow Diana to activate the robot’s weak point, you first need to destroy the physical firewall on the robot itself, which then reactivates that section of the grid. There’s usually more than one firewall, so you’ll have to decide if it’s worth using ammunition to destroy them completely, or just temporarily stun the enemy, treating extra hacking access as a bonus.

I’m really pleased with the direction this part of the game is taking. It’s great to see more varied enemies and a wider range of weapons and tools to use. The level design was also consistently engaging, with more platforming challenges than before. The areas felt much more open and explorable compared to the earlier Sketchbook demo – which was similar to what we’d seen in previous previews. One highlight was a puzzle near the end involving lasers you could activate to instantly defeat enemies, though each laser could only be used once. The lasers were clearly visible, so it was always obvious which part of a room they would affect. It was incredibly satisfying to take out multiple large robots with a single laser blast.

The preview build featured a significant step up in challenge, ending in a boss fight that was much more intense than anything in the previous demo. The fight cleverly reused elements from earlier encounters, like the firewalls, but took place in a much larger arena. We had to use the environment to our advantage, climbing pillars to avoid attacks that covered the entire ground, and precisely timing dodges to evade waves of spikes. It was a really impressive encounter, and a fitting place to end our hands-on time with the game – at least for now.

Pragmata feels like a fresh take on a familiar formula. While it shares design elements with recent Resident Evil games, the hacking puzzles are engaging and don’t feel repetitive. We initially questioned whether Pragmata had enough RPG elements to warrant coverage, but upgrading Hugh’s weapons and armor – improving damage, stats, and even adding abilities like a dodge-perfect “witch time” – shows that RPG fans will likely find plenty to enjoy. Even though it blends genres, Pragmata offers a promising experience.

The wait is almost over! Pragmata will be released on April 17th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC (via Steam). We’ll share our complete review in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out!

Read More

2026-03-17 18:31