Why Pragmata May Not Be For Everyone, And That's Okay

Replaying Pragmata’s thirty-minute demo in preparation for this feature, I’m mindful of its eight possible endings which I only discovered as existing a month-and-a-half after my first run. The resolution you receive – illustrated by Diana’s cute crayon drawings – is determined, mostly, by how you play: finish enemies using only Diana’s hacks; control space to handle multiple threats at once; take down the final boss without taking damage (thus relying on Hugh’s manoeuvreability). Exploring the idea of whether Pragmata is for everyone or not, this level of systemic flexibility could suggest two opposing truths: one, that Pragmata will indeed be universal thanks to its range of playstyles, or two, it might not be for everyone precisely because the hack-shoot-destroy interplay forming the core of its design can’t be ignored.