Pragmata has finally been released after years of delays and fears it may have been scrapped by Capcom, and it has risen from the ashes as one of the best releases so far this year, excelling in everything from its wholesome story to its electrifying combat and split-second gameplay. There's no denying that Capcom is carrying on the generation, and they can't help but be praised for overcoming the obstacles this game presented.
And speaking of the game's excellent combat, the game's weapon arsenal is also very solid, offering a total of 15 weapons ranging from 'essential' to 'okay for very specific builds' and everything in between. That's not to say there are bad weapons, but throughout the game some are much more practical than others. Unfortunately, some of the less practical weapons are often the most interesting to use!
15
hack mine
Getting things started and placing them last is Pragmata's Hacking Mines weapon. This is a very solid weapon overall, but requires a specific build to really shine. This weapon allows you to inject hacking nodes into mines, essentially extending Diana's hacking capabilities outside of the hacking mini-game she has to play when she wants to open up enemies and deal damage.
If hacking isn't essential or isn't fun or intuitive in and of itself, we could easily see this weapon climbing the list in dramatic fashion. Unfortunately, this weapon essentially makes some encounters a cakewalk, but in most other situations it's decent at best. It's not a terrible weapon by any stretch of the imagination, and it's not even what we think of as the best!
14
impact barrier
Next up is the Impact Barrier, which in theory is a pretty useful tool. However, it can often feel like a waste since the number of defensive units you can choose from is already very limited and these are your weakest tools. Although it absorbs incoming damage and projectiles from enemies, it fails to prove itself as a 'must-have', especially later in the game when you need a weapon that can make a big difference during a fight.
Plus, once you've built a solid build and become familiar with the game's overall combat, you won't have to rely on shock barriers to overcome the most difficult encounters the game has to offer. It's great to have if that's all you can choose from, but we'd place it at the bottom of the list rather than above anything else in that category!
13
homing missile
What follows is a somewhat surprising choice. Because Homing Missiles are solid offensive units that are great at clearing out hordes of enemies. But while it has powerful features, you'll need to rely on a solid build to get the most out of it, and you'll want to upgrade as soon as possible to make it less of a hassle to use. Charged weapons can hit or miss. Basically, because you need to use mods and upgrades to make your charging speed as fast as possible.
Again, while Homing Missiles are very solid in their own right, you can't help but feel that they are one of the weakest units when compared to other attack units in the game. We still strongly recommend using this unit to your advantage when dealing with large groups of enemies, but we wouldn't choose this unit over any other attack unit you can get your hands on!
12
sticky bomb
Next comes the sticky bomb. This unit adds another tactical unit and is quite a powerful unit. It's great at making it easier to hack enemy targets, but ultimately doesn't move the needle much, as mods and other upgrades allow for much better results. However, when paired with a mod that focuses on hacking, this weapon can easily become one of the top choices, which is nice to see.
Overall, Stickybombs aren't the worst thing you can equip in your tactical unit slot, but there are much better options that can feel rewarding and useful right out of the box without feeling like you need a dedicated build to unleash their true potential!
11
code generator
When it comes to tactical units, which feel like they perform much better with dedicated builds focused on special effects, the Code Generator is a close second. The Code Generator has the potential to increase Diana's hacking damage, causing light blue hacking nodes to appear during the hacking minigame, which can be passed through to deal additional damage.
The code generator also temporarily removes all error nodes, allowing you to explore the board more freely. Overall, it's a great tool, but I don't think you'll rely on it too much unless you choose a build that focuses on hacking and does more damage when going through hack nodes. There are better tactical units, but this is pretty solid overall!
10
pulse carbine
Rounding out the top ten is the Pulse Carbine, which serves as the second basic unit to unlock. It is intended to replace a grip gun. Although it is a very solid weapon, it unfortunately falls short of its predecessor in almost every way. This is because the main use case is to increase the heat gauge of enemies so they can be knocked down more often and deal greater damage.
Despite how good it sounds in theory, you'll be surprised how little damage this thing does compared to a grip gun. That's because most of the damage comes after you've knocked down an enemy and performed a follow-up attack, so you'll need a specific build to really cash in on it. With intensive mods and upgrades, this weapon can become one of the best in the game, but the Grip Gun is so reliable that it's hard to recommend it over this weapon!
9
stasis net
From there we move on to Stasis Net, one of Pragmata's best tactical units. Not only can you get this early on in play, but it stays relevant until the end as it temporarily freezes enemies within the area of effect, allowing you to deal massive damage to them through other weapons or hacks.
Of course, this weapon is primarily used as a means to use other weapons, but it also allows you to trap even the most powerful enemies for a brief moment, allowing you to unleash aggressive attacks. The Stasis Net is very sturdy, so I'd put it higher once I've fully upgraded it and feel a little better to use it. It's still very powerful, but as you progress it slowly starts to lose a bit of its impact, but not to the point where you feel useless!
8
shockwave gun
Okay, the Shockwave Gun is one of our favorite offensive units in the game, but it quickly loses steam once you get a little past the halfway point in the game, so we're unbiased about putting it in the top five. Early on in the adventure, this monster will rip apart everything in sight, and if it continues to maintain that level of power, it will undoubtedly be in the top three.
Unfortunately, this is not the case, as the Shockwave Gun remains solid from start to finish, but requires more shots to finish off enemies. Sure, with a strong damage-focused build you can pretty much one-shot most enemies in some cases, but that's why it drops several pegs. Still a very powerful offensive unit, but not top tier!
7
charge bloom
Oh, and the Charge Piercer is another great offensive unit that pierces through armored enemies like they're nothing, making it extremely powerful in certain fights. It's one of the best in its class, but since it's an assault weapon, you already rely on mods and upgrades to be able to use it during combat, but it's so good that I refuse to put it in a lower position.
Even without a dedicated build or upgrade, the Charge Piercer can take out just about anything in its path, which is pretty much everything you could ask for from an offensive unit. Sure, it could be better in some areas, but I still think it's one of the best for its role!
6
bait generator
Missing from the top five is the trusty Decoy Generator, one of the best weapons in the game and one of the best defensive units you can get your hands on. Luckily you'll get this beauty relatively early, which shows just how amazing it is. It never weakens as it progresses. This weapon allows you to create a hologram that draws aggro from nearby enemies and swarms them towards you.
If you're familiar with the Zombies mode from the Call of Duty series, this is essentially Monkey Bomb, and it is. Just as powerful. If you can group all nearby enemies into a large group, you can use massive AoEs that affect all nearby enemies, or other weapons with hack nodes and other tools that can wipe out large groups. Although it is a bit build-dependent, it is still a very powerful weapon at all stages of the game, so it deserves a high place!
