Spoilers Ahead
Before you give me that look, I am aware that Pragmata came out back in April. I have read all the discourse concerning the game and took my time playing it, as I was initially streaming my first playthrough. None of it was a concern for me, and anyone who has a problem with the game (especially after completing it) should really go touch some grass, caress some rocks, and go searching because this here is a wholesome game for all the men who have taken care of children in ANY capacity.
Please don’t ruin a good thing.
Anyhoo, due to family emergencies, everything took a back seat while I adjusted to my new life after about a month of being in and out of the hospital. (Not me. My Grandad.) That included single player games.
And even though I found myself getting in a few hours here and there throughout that segment of my life, I wasn’t able to really sit down and just immerse myself in the world until about a week ago.
Man… it was one hell of a ride!
But this isn’t a review. While I would love to do one, I don’t think that is where the meat and potatoes are for me as a writer/content creator. I could gush over the soundtrack, particularly the title screen theme, which I learned became a FULL ASS SONG after the end of the game (If this is a spoiler, I apologize, but you won’t hear it until then, so it kinda isn’t.) Memories Are You by Anurag Blaze is the entire game compressed in seven minutes and thirty-seven seconds. The weight of all the hours played is neatly tucked into a bullet and fired straight into your heart.
So when the title screen hit, and the vocalist started singing… I broke.
Do you remember the beachside that we walked along?
The place that you promised me you’d take me one day
The bliss I felt so far
But you taught me how beautiful a life is
What home is
Do you remember the gift that you gave me that day?
Since then, when I see a globe
It reminds me of my sweet home
The game takes you on a journey where I found myself caring more about the moments in between the puzzle-solving combat and objectives. I was looking forward to going back to the Shelter whenever I found something for Diana to interact with. Sometimes I would just go back to see what was on her mind and to hear the adorable questions she would ask.
This allowed me, and I am sure the other players, to build a unique bond with her. Not to mention the pictures she drew for you.
But it doesn’t stop there! You may control Hugh, but Hugh has his own personality. He had a life before the game started. He wasn’t a silent hero or one that you filled in the dialogue with. He answered her questions honestly and to the best of his ability. You can tell that he genuinely grew attached to Diana just like we did, and he wanted to do nothing more than protect her and get home.
So the game creates this cherished dynamic where we were all learning about each other in real time while exploring Cradle. Sadly, this is my weakness because I grew attached to them. Especially to Diana because I was getting to watch a little one of my own grow up before my eyes.
Sadly, I knew the outcome of the game the moment Hugh got hurt and decided not to tell Diana. I knew how this would play out.
And I STILL BROKE DOWN.
That’s when you know the story is good. Even when knowing the outcome, it still hits you… hard. Because I wanted to see those two make it back to Earth. They had spoken about it so much. Diana was so geeked to go to Earth and see all the simple wonders of the world. And with Hugh losing all of his friends, their relationship would have blossomed into something truly special on Earth.
I had a version in my head where Diana was taking care of an elderly Hugh after spending the remaining years of his life on Earth, doing everything that Diana wanted to satisfy her curiosity.
But we didn’t get that. We got the crushing realization that hope would not prevail here. Despite beating Eight and saving the Earth and going through a beautiful ending sequence that involved a rail gun (Capcom LOVES RAILGUNS). Hugh is still injured, and has been for a while now. Diana had already informed us that she couldn’t cleanse dead filament from living creatures. Hugh’s time is running out.
Hugh doesn’t forget his promise. He gets us to the cargo shuttle, loads her up, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to make the journey. He says his goodbye with a smile, knowing that for the brief time that he was with her, he had instilled in her something that Eight didn’t get and couldn’t have understood.
And when Diana says she wanted to stay with him, she could have. She wasn’t worried about dying. But the promise wouldn’t have been kept. So he sent her off to Earth, where she could do all the things that they talked about on Cradle.
Where she could see the real ocean like they had promised.
And I think that’s where the break happened because Hugh doesn’t get to see the result of what he gave Diana. It cracks because, like any parent, the hardest part of raising someone is having to let them go. Whether it be when they grow up and leave to go off on their own or due to some unfortunate circumstance that dictates you won’t be there anymore.
I can only imagine what was going through Hugh’s mind as he watched the cargo shuttle depart and told her to “Go Find the Sea.”
Because Hugh will not get to see what he instilled in Diana
And this mirrors Eight, as Dr. Higgins didn’t get to see the chaos and destruction Eight caused, with his last words to him being “Curse them.”
Both were impromptu fathers for the pragmata children. Both had a short period of time with them.
Hugh, just by being himself, teaches her. Protects her. Answers her curious questions. Gives her cherished memories. Plays with her. Saves her. And ultimately, gets her home, trusting that everything during their time together was enough.
That is the embodiment of being a father. It isn’t always defined by biology.
And as a person who relates to Hugh, I hope I can do the same with the brief time that I have.
Show them what love, compassion, and what home can mean.
Winter Reverie 