Capcom’s ambitious sci-fi adventure Pragmata is shaping up to be a serious challenge

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Capcom recently released a free demo called ‘Sketchbook’ for their new sci-fi game, Pragmata, on consoles and Steam. Players have probably had a chance to try out the game’s mix of hacking and shooting, skills they’ll need to defeat the dangerous robots they encounter.

This demo gives players a preview of the complete game, launching on April 17th. Capcom let me play an additional two hours of their exciting new title—their first original science fiction game since Lost Planet (excluding MegaMan)—and it proved to be both challenging and rewarding.

Pragmata offers big battles and even bigger robots

Recent trailers for Newer Pragmata feature a section of the game that looks like New York City. I played this part of the game myself and found that Capcom has made it quite challenging.

Even in the early ‘Sketchbook’ demo, it’s difficult to balance hacking with shooting, especially while avoiding enemies and deciding who to target. As the game gets harder, there are more robots to handle, and they become even more dangerous.

Pragmata provides several effective ways to handle groups of enemies. Along with weapons like the Shockwave Gun, Grip Gun, Charge Piercer, and Stasis Net, you’ll also have access to a holographic decoy and a Riot Blaster, which can freeze multiple enemies simultaneously. Combining these tools with the multi-hack ability lets you inflict significant damage on approaching hordes, but requires fast reactions.

The toughest parts of Pragmata happen when you encounter enemy groups with a few powerful robots that are shielded against hacking. These shields appear as holographic flowers with red petals, and you need to shoot them off before you can hack the robots and destroy them.

Things can feel chaotic at first, and even intense battles can be discouraging. However, with practice, you’ll find yourself smoothly combining hacking, dodging, and shooting.

Hacking, shooting, and dodging – oh my!

Pragmata is incredibly engaging, and the gameplay only improves as you progress. It’s challenging and doesn’t offer much guidance, particularly during boss battles.

I faced off against a huge, insect-like boss that had several defensive ‘flowers’. The number of these flowers grew with each stage of the fight. Luckily, our helpful android companion, Diana, was great at providing strategies and warning us about incoming damage. I think players will have different opinions on Diana – some might find her charming, while others might find her a little irritating. We’ll see how people react once they’ve had a chance to play with her for a while.

The battle was challenging, but smartly designed. Combining hacking, shooting, and avoiding the boss’s large area attacks was exciting and showed how creative the developers were.

Pragmata has challenging gameplay and a deep upgrade system

In Pragmata, you’ll return to a central hub called ‘the Shelter’ to improve your gear. You can use points earned during your adventures to unlock upgrades, make your weapons more powerful, and even 3D print new equipment to take with you on your next expedition.

As you progress, you’ll find special items to personalize Diana’s space, like furniture or play areas. You can also review details about enemies you’ve overcome. Plus, your Cabin bot offers useful benefits that you can unlock as you play.

The Shelter is your respawn point after you die. Don’t worry – most enemies, items, and lunafilament will reappear, and you’ll find checkpoints throughout the lunar station to make getting back easier.

April 17 can’t come fast enough

After getting a hands-on experience with Pragmata, I’m even more confident that Capcom is on the right track with this ambitious game. They’ve made it noticeably more challenging, given players more options in combat, and created a really engaging world to discover. It’s a lot of fun, and I’m eagerly anticipating the complete release in April.

Pragmata is expected to be a major success for the company, which is also planning to launch Onimusha: Way of the Sword in late 2026.

Pragmata releases on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Steam on April 17.

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2026-03-17 20:58