Capcom’s Innovative Approach to Game Development
Capcom has been excelling with its flagship franchises—Monster Hunter continues to grow in popularity, the Resident Evil series maintains its blockbuster momentum, and Street Fighter remains a cornerstone of the fighting game community. The company is also branching out with upcoming projects like a new Onimusha and the highly anticipated return of Devil May Cry, which recently celebrated a successful high note. However, every so often, Capcom experiments with entirely new concepts, and these ventures often come with varying degrees of success. One of their latest experiments, Pragmata, stood out during Summer Game Fest 2025, leaving a strong impression even after just a brief 15-minute hands-on demo.
Breaking the Mold: What Makes Pragmata Stand Out
On the surface, Pragmata might seem like just another sci-fi third-person shooter, but it’s the game’s unique mechanics that set it apart from the crowd. The core innovation lies in its hacking-based combat system. Instead of solely relying on shooting enemies, players must engage in hacking mini-games to exploit enemy weaknesses. The process involves aiming down sights and navigating a five-by-five grid, where you draw paths connecting specific nodes using face buttons. This real-time puzzle mechanic adds an engaging layer of strategy to combat.
As you progress, you can hit additional nodes along your drawn path to inflict status effects or reveal enemy weak points. This becomes especially tense when you’re navigating a room filled with hostile robots, requiring quick reflexes and strategic positioning. Successfully hacking and shooting in harmony creates a deeply satisfying combat experience that rewards agility and tactical thinking.
Gameplay Feel and Weaponry
Pragmata’s combat isn’t as frantic as titles like Vanquish or Returnal. Instead, it moves at a measured, weighty pace reminiscent of Dead Space or Gears of War. This deliberate tempo enhances the game’s immersive feel and allows for thoughtful engagement in fight scenarios. Players are equipped with a limited arsenal: a six-shot pistol with unlimited ammo, along with disposable weapons like a powerful heavy rifle and a Bola gun for temporarily immobilizing enemies. These limited-use tools encourage resourcefulness and strategic planning during battles.
Since encounters are less about overwhelming waves of enemies and more about careful engagement, the combat feels more deliberate and meaningful. However, this focus raises questions about how much the hacking mechanic can sustain interest over the full game, especially as new challenges and enemy types are introduced. The demo concluded just as players were about to face a massive mech—potentially a boss fight—leaving us eager to see more of Pragmata’s potential.
Environmental Puzzles and Exploration
Hacking isn’t confined to combat; it’s integrated into environmental puzzles and exploration segments as well. Players will encounter security locks and terminals that require different styles of button prompts to deactivate or access. These moments provide a welcome change of pace, breaking the linearity of the game and keeping the experience fresh. Engaging with these puzzles emphasizes the hacking theme and adds variety to gameplay, preventing repetitive sequences from becoming monotonous.
This approach to puzzle-solving and exploration aligns with other innovative titles that incorporate active mechanics into core gameplay. For instance, the timing-based mechanics in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and gesture controls in Scarlet Nexus demonstrate how interactive inputs can make gameplay more engaging and distinctive. If Pragmata continues to build on its innovative ideas, it could carve out a unique niche in the action genre.
The Mystery and Setting of Pragmata
The demo offered limited insight into the game’s story, but the premise alone raises curiosity. The game is set on a high-tech space station orbiting the moon, where you control Hugh, a soldier in a mech suit armed with an array of powerful firearms. Accompanying him is Diana, a mysterious young girl who is a hacking prodigy and sits on Hugh’s shoulders, assisting him in hacking enemies and unlocking secrets. Though the narrative may serve primarily as a vehicle to propel exciting combat scenarios, the intriguing premise hints at a compelling story waiting to unfold.
Initially revealed in 2020, Pragmata faced years of silence and delays before finally confirming its release in 2026. While it may not become a genre-defining masterpiece or a flagship title for Capcom, its bold approach and inventive mechanics make it a game to watch. In an era where many AAA titles tend to blend together, Pragmata’s fresh ideas and unique gameplay could set it apart in the crowded market.
Emma Blake
Emma is a tech-savvy news editor who thrives on staying ahead of the curve. With a background in digital journalism and media studies, she brings readers up-to-the-minute updates on gaming, tech, and entertainment trends. Emma’s writing is sharp, insightful, and always backed by credible sources. Her mission is to keep the community informed and curious about the fast-changing digital world.
