This is my second time playing Pragmata, and after my latest hands-on with the sci-fi action-adventure hacking shooter, I can say there’s a lot more going on, and in a good way.
You can check out our Summer Game Fest preview for initial impressions. This preview focuses on what’s changed since then, along with new details revealed in the Shelter update.
Story Setup
Hugh wakes up on a lunar research station and meets Diana, an android. Together, they’re immediately confronted by hostile AI controlling the station. Their goal is to defeat the AI and eventually return to Earth. That sounds simple, but Hugh is handicapped from the start: his weapons barely scratch the robots. Once Diana links with him, she reveals her hacking abilities, which can override the robots’ defenses and create weak points that allow Hugh to deal real damage.
Core Gameplay Loop
This dynamic is at the heart of Pragmata. The two characters must work together to solve real-time combat puzzles while fending off hostile AI. Each enemy encounter triggers a hacking grid where I had to quickly move my cursor across the grid to reach a target tile, all while controlling Hugh in real-time to dodge attacks and shoot.
Exploration and Shelter Hub
Progress through the station unlocks ladders as fast-travel points and a tram system that takes you back to the Shelter, the central hub for upgrading weapons and hack nodes. The structure feels like a search-action game, encouraging you to revisit earlier areas with new upgrades to access hidden items and resources. One example from my demo involved collecting items to place as decorations in the Shelter. It’s not immediately known what collecting these items will reward, but I liked the additional banter between Hugh and Diana.
Difficulty Changes
The biggest difference between my first and second hands-on sessions is the difficulty. Enemy encounters now hit harder, forcing you to prepare, exploit weak points, and move through hacking grids quickly and efficiently. When multiple robots spawned at once, the challenge ramped up significantly, pushing me to juggle hacking, shooting, and avoiding damage all at once. Since this was only the opening section, I expect the difficulty to keep rising as new weapons and hacking abilities come into play.
Final Thoughts on Pragmata
I really like the multitasking focus here, as it mirrors how I often split my attention in real life. The question is how long Pragmata can sustain this without becoming repetitive. This remains to be seen, but based on what I’ve played so far, it feels fun.
Pragmata is scheduled to release in 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
