In 2020, the PlayStation 5 was announced alongside a new Capcom game called Pragmata. There was a while there when it felt like this game was never coming out, but now, it’s finally on the release radar.
At New York Comic Con, The Beat got to test a Pragmata demo and see what the game is like. It follows a spacefaring human named Hugh and a droid named Diana as they battle a hostile AI attempting to control the lunar station in the near future.
The game’s visual aesthetics reminded me of Capcom’s old game Lost Planet, and the use of AI and robots brings to mind its classic franchise Mega Man (or Rock Man if you’re particular).
The demo starts out with Hugh waking up, and now he and Diana are being attacked by the AI with robot drones. Pragmata is a third-person perspective action game focused on shooting, along with the ability to jump (yes!), hover, and dodge.
What makes this game different is Diana’s ability to hack into things, so while in combat, you have to start the hack, and a window opens up, and you have to do a little puzzle to weaken your robot opponents. Staying alive and doing these puzzles to make a path in a numbered, square grid using the face buttons on the controller is hard to juggle.
Movement can also feel a little bit sluggish, at least at first. It makes sense with the spacesuit, where it can feel heavy and light.
The platforming parts were fun and I rarely got lost, thanks mainly to the great map and the “show me the next location” system. The battles are engaging and fun as more and more enemies get involved.
Starting with the basic handgun is cool, but once you start getting some of the other weapons, the combat opens up further. There’s a shotgun-like weapon that became my favorite, and a gun that shoots a trapping energy net that was interesting. I could see it being very useful in big group battles.
The Pragmata demo concluded with a boss fight, which was a very impressive set piece. It had good tension and a fun pattern to figure out. It felt challenging and had you use all the skills and weapons you acquired to that point.
Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine is just incredible in this generation. Diana looks fantastic and so realistic. The design of all the technology very much has that Japanese mech and technology design look, especially from ’80s and ’90s anime. Super detailed and fully realized. All these things look like they could exist and yet are fantastically cool.
Rotating parts, little pieces locking into place, weird shapes that look like mechanical creatures but are just cool suits or robots. It’s all here if you’re a mech nerd.
The HUD designs and menu designs make you want to stare at them even as you’re trying to stay alive. Pragmata is one of my most anticipated games to buy and play next year. It’s looking like Capcom is going to continue its very strong run.
Pragmata will be available for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam in 2026.
Stay tuned to The Beat for more coverage from NYCC ’25.
