PRAGMATA Hands-On Preview: CAPCOM’s Surprising Sci-Fi Gamble

PRAGMATA has been one of CAPCOM’s most mysterious projects in recent memory, a title that many feared would quietly fade into obscurity like the infamous Deep Down. After years of silence and multiple delays, however, Gamescom 2025 finally offered the chance to put those doubts to rest.

What emerged was not just proof that the game exists, but a surprising and memorable demo that revealed an ambitious blend of action and puzzle mechanics, wrapped in a striking sci-fi aesthetic.

The demo begins in a deserted lunar research station, where astronaut Hugh and the android Dana are piecing together the fate of the facility’s crew while plotting their own way back to Earth. At first glance, PRAGMATA presents itself like a standard third-person action-adventure game. Hugh navigates sterile corridors, solves straightforward navigational puzzles, and fends off threats lurking in the shadows. Yet the deeper one plays, the clearer it becomes that CAPCOM’s creative gamble lies in its unusual combat design – something that sets PRAGMATA apart from its peers.

Combat in PRAGMATA isn’t simply about shooting or slashing. Instead, every encounter requires cooperation between Hugh and Dana. Before Hugh can even scratch an enemy, Dana must hack into their systems and weaken their defenses. This hacking isn’t a quick button press but a series of puzzle grids that demand both precision and timing. Players must juggle these mental challenges while dodging enemy attacks in real time, creating a constant tension between survival and strategy. As the demo progresses, the puzzles evolve in complexity, introducing new layers like debuffs that can cripple enemy abilities or grant Hugh crucial openings.

At first, the flow between solving puzzles and diving back into direct combat feels slightly disjointed, as though two separate games were stitched together. But once the rhythm clicks, the result is exhilarating. In one sequence, a towering mech forced me to alternate constantly between hacking its shielding systems and exploiting its brief moments of weakness. The synergy between brain-teasing puzzles and pulse-pounding action kept me fully engaged, demanding focus but rewarding mastery.

This gameplay loop shone brightest during the boss fight at the end of the demo. Unlike many conventional encounters where learning attack patterns is the main challenge, PRAGMATA’s boss required quick thinking across two distinct fronts: cracking the puzzle grids under pressure and timing Hugh’s assaults during fleeting windows of vulnerability. The result was a fight that felt both cerebral and visceral, a rare balance that hints at the game’s true potential.

Outside combat, the worldbuilding also deserves mention. The lunar setting is equal parts haunting and fascinating, with quiet halls filled with scattered clues hinting at a larger story of corporate ambition, human frailty, and the uncertain bond between man and machine. Dana herself seems designed not only as a combat partner but as an emotional anchor – a character whose presence reshapes the familiar trope of the silent android companion. Whether she will avoid the pitfalls of being written as a grating sidekick or elevate the narrative into something more meaningful remains to be seen, but the seeds planted in the demo are intriguing.

Of course, PRAGMATA is still far from release. CAPCOM has only committed to a vague 2026 launch window across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Series S. That long wait could be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it gives the developers time to polish the mechanics, expand the hacking system’s complexity, and fine-tune the balance between action and puzzles. On the other hand, such a distant release risks losing momentum in a crowded market where player attention spans are fleeting. CAPCOM must work carefully to ensure the hype generated at Gamescom isn’t squandered by silence.

Regardless, what I played at Gamescom was enough to replace skepticism with cautious optimism. Far from a forgotten experiment, PRAGMATA feels like one of CAPCOM’s boldest attempts in years to reshape the boundaries of action-adventure gaming. If the final release can build on the promise of its demo – tightening the pacing, enriching the story, and delivering variety in its encounters – it may stand tall as one of the most memorable sci-fi adventures of the decade.

Until then, PRAGMATA remains a mystery wrapped in anticipation. But for the first time since its announcement, it feels less like vaporware and more like the start of something genuinely exciting.