I was pleasantly surprised by many aspects of Pragmata. First, the constantly evolving and engaging hacking mechanic, then, the creative level design and puzzles, and finally the emotional bond forming between Hugh and Diana. Hopefully we’ll see more from this new, innovative IP in years to come (hopefully with a much-improved map).
In my opinion, it’s a real shame that Messy Up falls short, as there are the makings of a good game here. It just needs a little more care to optimize the menus for consoles and to fix some gameplay mechanics. I just can’t recommend this game when there are other games that do it much better.
MIO has a lot of features that other games in the genre introduced and found a way to incorporate and make them shine. The modifier system is similar to Hollow Knight or Ori and the Will of the Wisps. The accessibility option that makes each boss a tiny bit weaker after each failed attempt is similar to Hades. The extended platforming sections of the Ori games and Guacamelee are also present. MIO does a fantastic job of taking all these systems and making them their own while wrapping them up in a huge world to explore. This is Douze Dixièmes’ second game which follows their stunning debut, Shady Part of Me, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.