We’ve played PS5 shooter Pragmata three times now.
It’s honestly quite rare these days to get so much hands-on time with a game prior to release, but we think Capcom’s desperate to communicate what sets its latest shooter apart.
While on the surface it may look like yet another third-person action affair, as we’ve pointed out on a couple of occasions, its puzzle-like hacking gimmick gives it a vibe all of its own.
Our latest demo took us back to the exact same area as previous ones, but with one crucial twist: the Shelter has been added to the gameplay loop.
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The Shelter basically serves as a sanctuary for dual-protagonists Hugh and Diana to return to during their adventure. You can reach it from various monorails and checkpoints found throughout the largely linear world, and upon returning to it you can craft key resources and upgrade your arsenal.
We weren’t able to fashion any hacking resources during our relatively short hands-on, but you’ll be constructing chips which will be added to the puzzle grid. Some of these will shred defenses; others will allow your hacks to target two or more enemies at once.
You can get a rough idea of where the game is going with these upgrades, and we’re excited to see just how powerful Hugh and Diana become by the end of the game.
You can also invest data cubes, discovered around the levels, into upgrading the heroes. Diana’s hacks will do more damage if you choose to upgrade her for example, while Hugh’s weapons will be able to do more damage.
Compared to our previous playthroughs of the demo, it’s clear Capcom has increased the difficulty, as we were finding ourselves scraping through some of the skirmishes we waltzed through before. This is all still being tuned, but we suppose with Capcom adding in the upgrade systems, there needs to be a more substantial curve to the gameplay.
Overall, even though we’re getting a bit tired of playing this same section now, we still believe Pragmata is one of the most promising games of 2026.
As a shooter, it’s genuinely refreshing, with familiar gameplay that’s dramatically amplified by its unique gimmicks.
Next year is looking like a huge one for new releases, but expect this Capcom effort to be one of the standouts in a highly competitive field.