PRAGMATA vend plus d'un million d'exemplaires en deux jours ! La fille IA, Diana, conquiert les joueurs, et prévoit que les robots vont prendre le travail des humains ?

Capcom’s new game “PRAGMATA: Man-Machine Maze” sold 1 million copies in just two days! Combining shooting with hacker puzzle gameplay, it is called the “AI Daughter” Diana, who performed brilliantly and received praise, while the storyline also showcases a future where robots replace human jobs.

PRAGMATA sold one million copies in two days, Capcom’s completely new work receives positive reviews

Since its release on April 17th this year, Capcom’s brand new “PRAGMATA: Man-Machine Maze” has surpassed 1 million copies sold worldwide in just two days. Currently, on the Steam platform, player reviews have exceeded 12,000, with an overwhelming 96% positive rating.

The game “PRAGMATA” is set on the surface of the Moon in the near future. Players will play as astronaut Hugh Williams, who investigates a missing facility on the Moon. After an accident leaves him seriously injured, he is rescued by an AI robot girl named Diana.

This wonderful duo must work together to fight against the crazed AI on the lunar facility and find a way back to Earth. The main gameplay involves a bit of left-brain and right-brain cooperation, because players first solve grid puzzles to activate Diana’s hacking functions to break through enemies’ defenses, then control Hugh to shoot enemies for maximum damage, while also dodging attacks at the right moments.

Image source: PRAGMATA official images

Besides the unique gameplay, I also felt that the development team put a lot of effort into Diana. Whether in cutscene CG animations or in-game scenes, Diana makes many realistic little girl actions, making players involuntarily relate to the “old father” role.

Robots take human jobs, and humans have nothing to do?

In the early part of the game (also available in the demo), you can see a residual shadow that can be played back, showing two humans discussing walkers (AI robots) handling trivial chores to major tasks, capable of doing everything, managed only through the IDUS system, with robots arriving on demand. So what can humans do? One conclusion is: think of innovative concepts and explore entrepreneurial opportunities.

Image source: Player’s game screenshot

Another letter mentions that the work of entry-level employees at power plants in the game has been reduced to managing robots. After clocking in daily, they have nothing to do, only pretending to be busy, and envy those working on the front lines of development.

Image source: Player’s game screenshot

With the recent explosion of generative AI, there are many voices claiming AI will replace white-collar jobs. Therefore, although “PRAGMATA” depicts a future after the proliferation of AI humanoid robots, it also easily evokes current events.

PRAGMATA development concept: blending old and new generations without focusing on game length or huge maps

As a completely original new IP, building a world view from scratch is a new challenge. However, this game has actually attracted many players’ attention years ago, not because Capcom announced the game, but because of a trailer released when the 2022 release was delayed, as follows:

Before the official release, the “PRAGMATA” development team was interviewed by Japanese game media “Famitsu” and “Shueisha VJump,” revealing the development system and design concepts.

Producer Naoto Oyama said that the development team combines young and veteran developers. The team includes experienced staff who participated in the development of “Resident Evil” and “Devil May Cry” series, helping the younger generation to unleash creativity and jointly create a new gaming experience.

Game director Zhao Rongxi mentioned that to differentiate in sci-fi action games, the team combined traditional shooting elements with hacker puzzle systems. Therefore, the core concept of Hugh and Diana’s cooperation has remained unchanged since development began.

The development team spent a lot of effort balancing shooting and hacking gameplay, aiming to ensure players will autonomously decide when to use hacking skills and then enjoy the thrill of shooting and destruction. Players can upgrade equipment in the base, and as the game progresses, they can freely choose combat styles leaning toward shooting or hacking.

The team also considered modern players’ gaming habits, setting the main story completion time at around 10 hours and adding rich exploration and multiple playthrough elements.

Automaton review: PRAGMATA’s gameplay and narrative are a double-edged sword

“PRAGMATA” took 6 years from announcement to release, enduring the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. It ultimately succeeded in attracting players’ attention, but the game media “Automaton” believes there are still some regrets.

“Automaton” pointed out that the biggest highlight of the game is that players can adjust the intensity of combat themselves. They can also strengthen specific abilities by consuming resources, developing their own extreme tactics, and gaining a sense of achievement from high-intensity multitasking.

However, there are concerns that hacker puzzles and shooting lack deep synergy. Additionally, since the main story lasts about 10 hours, the plot development feels compressed, and the emotional changes between the two protagonists are somewhat rushed, with many sci-fi elements serving mainly to heighten visual drama rather than deeply resonating with the game’s universe.

“Automaton” concluded that overall, “PRAGMATA” is a game that compensates for some narrative shortcomings through high freedom in gameplay customization. Although its structure feels somewhat cobbled together, it still offers solid fun and can well serve as a new IP.

“PRAGMATA” currently has a score of 86 on Metacritic from media reviews, and player scores are as high as 9, receiving generally positive praise.

Image source: Metacritic PRAGMATA’s media and player reviews on Metacritic