One of the main mechanics in Pragmata is hacking, which you will do in pretty much every single fight during the game. It is imperative that you get the hang of the hacking minigame down quickly, since you’re not really going to go very far in the game. Thankfully, the hacking minigame is relatively simple, but some things can be a little more complicated later on in the game. One of the main reasons it can be tricky is because you have to do it in real-time, while still potentially dodging enemy attacks.
Hacking Minigame¶
Whenever you confront an enemy, you can shoot them, but you’re not going to do much damage to them. The idea is that you have to hack them in order to make them more vulnerable to damage, but it can be a little confusing at first. The first thing that needs to be done is aiming at the enemy, which will open a small window. Inside this window, you should see little icons, but the main one you need is the green circle. Navigate the window by using the face buttons and move your “cursor” to the green circle to hack the enemy. Of course, they will only remain hacked for a short duration, but you have a decent amount of time to deal some real damage to them.
(1 of 2) The basic goal of the hacking minigame is to get to the green circle.
The basic goal of the hacking minigame is to get to the green circle. (left), Doing this opens up the enemy and allows you to deal a lot of damage to them. (right)
You don’t really need to do anything else regarding hacking, but there are extra things that can be done to enhance it. In addition to the green circle, you will also almost always see blue squares on the hacking grid. These blue squares do two things, which are increasing the damage you deal with your hacking, as well as keeping the enemies exposed for longer. So, it’s a good idea to always go for them when you can, although some more frantic battles might prevent this from happening. Other things might impede your hacking, like nodes that you can’t cross over, which is the case with a certain enemy in the first main area of the game.
Hacking Nodes¶
Eventually, you will start to unlock Hacking Nodes, which are special nodes that trigger special effects when you pass through them. These are yellow and only have a limited number of uses, but they can be extremely powerful in the right situations. For example, one of the first Hacking Nodes you unlock is called Decode, which temporarily increases the damage dealt on enemies. As you progress through the game, more Hacking Nodes will be unlocked and you’ll be able to equip them from the main hub, before setting out, as well as pick them up from various crates and even after defeating enemies.
(1 of 2) Hacking Nodes help out a lot, as they always add a bonus effect when hacking.
Hacking Nodes help out a lot, as they always add a bonus effect when hacking. (left), Some enemies later on will prevent you from hacking them, via using jammers. (right)
Jammers¶
Once you reach Sector 2, you’ll start seeing a few enemies use jammers to basically block you from hacking them. They will manifest as little red beacons/shields on the enemy, so you’ll have to shoot them in order to break them. This can sometimes be difficult to do, especially with the chaotic nature of combat at times, so these jammers can definitely prolong some battles. They likely won’t do it straight away, rather waiting until certain health thresholds first.
Hacking Upgrades¶
You’ll notice as you play through Pragmata that you can find and purchase upgrades that can involve the hacking stat and mechanics. If you’re looking for information what the best upgrades are, check out our video below:
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