Pragmata Review

Pragmata reviewed by Michael Higham on PlayStation 5. Also available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. I know it’s a bit cliche to say at this point, but it certainly applies here: Pragmata is a video game-ass video game. Its old-school approach to level design and pacing provide a decent foundation for what it does best: heavy, satisfying shooting and a unique real-time puzzle system that deepens its action. It's not exactly concerned with being a storytelling powerhouse alongside that, however, and it can be a little disappointing to see the untapped potential as it relies on worn tropes even if its duo can be charming at times. But Capcom focused on the best lessons of the action side of modern Resident Evil games and matched that with a fresh hacking mechanic we haven't really seen before – and even with some small frustrations, that combo was so good that I naturally wanted to keep playing past the credits to complete every leftover challenge. Pragmata's hack-and-shoot formula absolutely rules, and I hope Capcom builds on those ideas in the future.