Capcom’s Pragmata may simply be 2026’s most refreshingly distinctive AAA sport

Once I first performed Pragmata at Summer time Recreation Fest in June, I definitely got here away intrigued, however I didn’t actually know what to assume on the entire. After all, any new IP from Capcom routinely warrants consideration, and on this case, it’s a long-gestating sci-fi title centred round distinctive hacking-based third-person shooter gameplay.

However I needed to see extra, particularly because the demo ended proper earlier than an enormous boss struggle. Now, after attending to play an prolonged model of that very same demo at Gamescom final week that included that boss struggle, I’m a lot extra bullish on Pragmata.

In case you haven’t seen a lot of it over the previous few years, Pragmata follows spacefarer Hugh and his little android companion Diana as they struggle to flee a lunar analysis station and return to Earth. It’s a enjoyable premise that paves the way in which each for a hanging Dying Stranding-style sci-fi aesthetic and, doubtlessly, an enthralling core relationship. With respect to the latter, it was candy to see Hugh attempt to educate Diana about human issues like excessive fives, and hopefully, that dynamic blossoms into one thing extra meaty and emotional.

However for now, although, I simply respect how properly they work collectively in precise gameplay. As Hugh trudges round in his spacesuit, he’ll encounter numerous robots which have been taken over by a rogue AI. To struggle them, he’ll want to make use of totally different weapons that fireplace particular sorts of rounds. The issue, nevertheless, is that his firearms don’t do an entire lot of harm to the plated machines.

That’s the place Diana is available in. Utilizing her techno skills, she will faucet into the robots’ neural community and immediate a hacking minigame during which you navigate a line via a grid Snake-style to achieve a goal tile, avoiding obstacles on the way in which. The genius of this technique, although, is that the sport doesn’t pause throughout it, so you continue to need to maneuver Hugh in real-time to keep away from incoming harm by operating, leaping and jetpack-thrusting your approach to security. When you efficiently hack the robotic, it’ll fall into an “Open” state during which it turns into shocked and susceptible to considerably extra harm. This creates a uniquely participating rhythm that I’ve hardly ever seen in an action-focused sport, as it’s a must to juggle the puzzle-like hacking with traversal and capturing.

Fight turns into much more thrilling via the addition of limited-use weapons to enrich Hugh’s primary gun, which has limitless ammo however recharges over time. This features a highly effective shotgun and a stasis rifle that entraps enemies for brief durations. On high of this, you may decide up one-time use power-ups that add buffs within the hacking minigame, encouraging you to make a detour on the grid to scoop them up earlier than reaching the vacation spot tile.

On this approach, there’s a little bit of a satisfying, nearly Resident Evil-like risk-reward ingredient right here, as it’s a must to handle your restricted assets on the fly. The stasis discipline is likely to be useful for crowd management towards just a few grunts, nevertheless it might additionally assist you to towards extra highly effective foes, like an upcoming boss. On the flip facet, saving the stasis for a well-timed shot when an enemy is efficiently hacked can really briefly lengthen its interval of vulnerability. Equally, do you threat pursuing all the buffs in a single go, realizing that it’ll take longer to take action and thus require you to be agile for longer durations? And eventually, when do you have to use Diana’s slowly charging tremendous transfer, Overdrive Protocol, which routinely stuns all enemies and leaves them susceptible?

Naturally, these strategic contemplations solely turn out to be extra vital once you face off towards a boss. In my demo, it was the “SectorGuard,” which is principally only a tank with legs that admittedly felt a little bit generic from a visible design standpoint. However the mechanics with which you interact it are the place it comes alive. On this case, there have been susceptible spots on his again that will solely open as soon as he’s hacked. However after all, this being a boss meant that he had an even bigger and deadlier arsenal than the common bots, together with missiles and thruster-powered physique slams.

Dodging all of his assaults proved to be a welcome problem, particularly contemplating your hacking minigame resets in the event you take harm. It’s the proper approach to steadiness your skills by creating a way of threat whereas additionally nonetheless conserving the core hacking easy sufficient to do whereas concurrently controlling your character. Certainly, that’s in all probability essentially the most spectacular factor about the entire demo: it simply feels responsive. I by no means felt overwhelmed as if the sport was asking an excessive amount of of me without delay; it felt like a manageable, satisfying stage of problem.

I’m glad Capcom lastly included the SectorGuard encounter within the newest demo as a result of with it, the entire fight system actually clicks into place. I had been questioning how it could maintain up past fights with just a few grunts, and thus far, I really like what I’m seeing with how a boss can take all of it a number of steps additional. I nonetheless have questions concerning the broader story, provided that we’ve seen so little of it, however assuming that Capcom hones in on that promising Hugh and Diana dynamic whereas providing extra well-designed weapons, power-ups and managers, Pragmata might be an actual winner.

Pragmata launches on PS5, Xbox Collection X/S and PC someday in 2026.

For extra on Capcom at Gamescom, take a look at my hands-on previews of Resident Evil: Requiem and Onimusha: Method of the Sword.

Picture credit score: Capcom