Pragmata might seem overwhelming for new players. The combination of third-person shooting combat with puzzle-solving mechanics forces you to multitask. The considerable number of weapons, mods, and hacks just add more layers of complexity to the game. With a long list of features and mechanics, Pragmata gives the impression of a difficult game to play, but it’s not — you just need to know what to do to make it less challenging.
Turn on your suit’s thrusters and warm up your hands for lightning-fast hacking, but don’t forget to check the Pragmata beginner’s tips we prepared for you. Then, you will be ready to conquer the moon.
[Ed. note: This guide contains minor spoilers for Pragmata.]
Upgrade hacking and weapons first
In Pragmata, you can upgrade Hugh’s armor, gun, and Diana’s hacking ability using upgrade components. Although they work like experience points, you only obtain components by finding them throughout the sectors. When choosing what to spend your precious upgrade components, prioritize upgrading either Hugh’s gun or Diana’s hacking.
While the former is the only gun in the game without a limited ammo capacity, the latter is crucial for dealing more damage and applying debuffs to enemies. Upgrading armor is a good option, because it raises Hugh’s total HP, but it shouldn’t be your priority.
Then upgrade your thrusters
When deciding what to spend your lumen on, your first option should be “Thrusters” in the “Attachments” tab. Hugh’s armor has all kinds of functions, but it is still a heavy suit that doesn’t allow him to move like a ninja. Your only option when trying to dodge enemies’ attacks is to use thrusters. By increasing the number of times you can use the armor’s thrusters, you automatically raise the chance of staying alive in a fight. Besides, you need thrusters to reach platforms and other distant locations — the more, the better.
Running doesn’t cost thrust energy
Thrusters are great for exploration and fighting, but terrible when it comes to traversing long distances. That doesn’t mean you lack better options. Maybe you had no idea Hugh could actually run instead of propelling himself with the mini rockets on his mechanical feet, but he can! The best part of this is that running does not consume the energy required to dodge and activate the armor thruster. So make the big man run and save energy for when you truly need it.
Understand the kind of player you are
While combat in Pragmata involves using guns and hacking to cause damage, it is possible to put a build together by running specific mods and focusing on carrying certain types of guns. The system doesn’t allow intricate or broken combinations, but it encourages certain play styles. By understanding your favorite approach when fighting bots, choosing the most effective mods becomes a walk in the park.
Think before shooting
Pragmata will punish you if you act without thinking, especially in combat. Most guns have limited ammo, and during battles only a few extra guns appear. If you waste most of your shots with the powerful shockwave gun or homing missile, you might end up running around the battlefield waiting for your primary unit to replenish its ammo. To prevent this from happening, be patient and learn the enemies’ patterns to find the best window to strike back at them. In addition, learning each enemy’s weak spots is imperative to emerge victorious from a fight.
Understand what each weapon does
Understand what each weapon doesBeing mindful of which guns you are using is as important as knowing where to shoot with them. Understanding the best moment to swap a certain unit makes all the difference. For example, your primary unit is your filler gun, but you want to have its ammo on recharging whenever possible. At the beginning of a fight, hack the enemy, empty the primary unit’s clip, then swap to an attack unit gun for heavy damage. Swapping to your primary unit only when you run out of attack unit bullets is a waste of potential damage. Another instance is to never pop the drone hive before hacking an enemy, which exposes them to all the damage the drones can cause.
Charging guns aren’t the best early game option
The charge piercer is one of the first attack units you unlock in the game, and it has better numbers than the shockwave gun. Even so, it is not a good option while going through the first sectors of the game. To use the gun’s potential, you need to fully charge it and no enemy in this game will give you enough time to do so. The same goes for the homing missile gun. You want to have the “Overclocked Weaponry” mod, which increases charge speed by 30% to start running charging guns.
The ‘Confuse’ hacking node is super strong
One of the worst situations you will find yourself in is when a group of bots surrounds you. One starts charging its cannon, two are walking toward you with their plasma blade, and there’s a stationary unit aiming six missiles at you. However, what could be seen as a manageable, but undesired situation can actually be fun to be part of when you use the “Confuse” hacking node. It turns a bot into an ally, making them attack other bots and help you out. If you use a combination of “Confuse” with “Multihack,” you can make the whole group become friendly to you and start fighting each other, giving you enough time to shoot them down.
Take your time hacking
Take your time hackingDesperation and anxiety might kick in as soon as the glowing hacking grid appears on the screen for the first time. An evil killer robot is coming, ready to slice, stomp, smash, or fire a missile at you while you’re trying to reach the green tile but can’t see the path you chose is blocked by a square. It’s OK. We have all been there. However, you shouldn’t worry too much. Enemies are pretty slow and their attacks are clearly telegraphed, giving you enough room to escape. If even that doesn’t help, you can equip mods that ensure the hacking path you have been building stays intact even after being hit by enemies.
Don’t underestimate the power of Cabin’s Stamp Club
Cabin might be the game’s borderline-annoying mascot, but the peppy TV bot can give you many strong items through its stamp club. Although the prospect of obtaining new skins for Diana and Hugh might hook you, looking good in space is not the only reason you want to aim for at least triple bingos to receive great prizes You can unlock new weapons and hacking nodes that are quite powerful, such as the “Drone Hive” tactical unit and the “Drain” hacking node.
