Pragmata has all the potential to steal Game of the Year in 2026. Capcom’s science-fiction puzzle-shooter is a wholly original concept that sat dormant in development for several years after debuting in a 2020 PlayStation State of Play to the surprise of many. It’s an eloquent blend of sci-fi genres rolled into a bespoke gameplay loop that evokes some of the best games of all time.
The story of Pragmata meshes The Last of Us with Nier: Automata and System Shock. Players control two characters: Hugh Williams, a futuristic space detective investigating a lunar research station that went dark, and Diana, a special android with advanced hacking capabilities. Together, the pair fight their way through the derelict lunar station, facing off against a band of rogue AI.
Despite the vast amount of originality put into Pragmata, a cornucopia of similar sci-fi elements can not only be found in video games but also anime. Below are some of the best anime titles that match those familiar Pragmata vibes of stylized hacking, rogue AI, and the subtle boundaries between humans and machines. Watch them once you finish the game and need another dose of trippy, narratively complex storytelling (or put them on in the background while you play to really crank up the experience).
5
Memories (1995)
Everyone knows Event Horizon, but few know what came before. Kōji Morimoto’s “Magnetic Rose,” which debuted in the 1995 anime anthology film called Memories, remains one of the best examples of psychological sci-fi in the medium. Just like in Pragmata, the main characters in “Magnetic Rose” answer a distress beacon that leads to a remote space station frozen in time.
I won’t spoil much else, because you really have to experience this movie in full for yourself. The action in “Magnetic Rose” takes a backseat, replaced instead with a slow-burning mystery surrounding the space station that’s enchanting and unforgettable. You’ll find some of the most mesmerizing cuts in animation throughout “Magnetic Rose;” it’s a testament to the beauty of traditional hand-drawn cel animation.
Pragmata fans will surely enjoy its spiraling perspective on the “ghost in the shell” framework, a philosophical quandary on consciousness and souls in the context of higher technology. “Magnetic Rose” also serves as the first screenplay written by Satoshi Kon, who would later direct some of the greatest anime films of all time, namely Paprika and Perfect Blue.
Where to watch: Prime Video.
4
Angel’s Egg (1985)
Mirroring Satoshi Kon, director Mamoru Oshii is also behind some of the most well-known anime films of all time, including Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor, and Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. However, few match the subtle brilliance of one of his earliest works, an OVA film he wrote and directed in collaboration with Yoshitaka Amano of Final Fantasy and Vampire Hunter D fame.
Angel’s Egg isn’t your normal anime. If you’re looking for some gun-toting sci-fi epic adventure, this is not it. Instead, Angel’s Egg is more a contemplative meditation on belief and meaning.
Similar to Pragmata, it centers on an older man and a young female as they traverse the remains of a dying world, but the characters themselves are intentionally left vague. The girl is portrayed tending to an egg throughout the film, which becomes a narrative motif that can be read in a variety of ways.
I’m a sucker for old ’80s OVAs, and Angel’s Egg remains one of the best of the decade. The atmospheric imagery is what sells this anime, seeing as the film notoriously has no more than 30 lines of dialogue — and the first line of the film isn’t even spoken until 20 minutes in. Fortunately, Angel’s Egg was re-released last year for its 40th anniversary, so you can experience its sweeping shots of quiet reverie in blistering 4K.
Where to watch: HBO Max
3
Ergo Proxy (2006)
There’s cyberpunk anime, and then there’s Ergo Proxy. The darkly-lit, grunge-infused science fiction anime from 2006 remains an icon in the genre for its originality, offering 23 episodes packed with as much intrigue as action.
The story of Ergo Proxy is set in a post-apocalyptic world where the once-benign coexistence of humans and androids is thrown into disarray following the dispersal of a dangerous virus. Once infected, the AutoReiv androids act in a state of self-awareness, committing gruesome murders that put 19-year-old Inspector Re-L Mayer on the case.
Re-L is swiftly pulled into a conspiracy surrounding the “Proxy,” which are advanced humanoids connected to a series of secret government experiments. Where it leads is to the farthest corners of the long-devastated world, and what she finds there may hit Re-L closer to home than she bargained for.
There’s nothing quite like Ergo Proxy. It’s filled with striking imagery, blending 3D computer models, 2D digital cel animation, and layered visual effects to create a distinct, almost uncanny atmosphere that’s entirely its own. Re-L Mayer also stands out as a compelling lead; initially composed and detached, she gradually becomes an emotional anchor for the series as her understanding of the world fractures under the weight of her investigation.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
2
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002)
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is your perfect escape into the cyberized future. The 2002 classic follows Major Motoko Kusanagi and her band of compatriots under Section 9, a secret task force dedicated to the preservation of law and order in an era of dangerous cyborgs and advanced prosthetics.
Masamune Shirow’s groundbreaking manga wrote the book on the psychosocial sci-fi concepts still preserved today in games like Pragmata. Through Kusanagi’s eyes in Stand Alone Complex, viewers are introduced to a rabid world of technological supremacy, where the “self” (ghost) is often framed against the “body” (shell) in intriguing ways.
Replaceable limbs, cyberbrains, and hackable dataware give the world of Ghost in the Shell this layer of fraught ingenuity. Its narrative explores similar themes presented in Philip K. Dick and William Gibson novels, with a more intimate look at the idea of transhumanism and consciousness in the face of swiftly advancing technology.
Whether it’s Stand Alone Complex or the 1995 animated film, there’s no better time than now to dive into this cyberpunk world as we draw nearer to the release of Science Saru’s Ghost in the Shell, which debuts this summer.
Where to watch: Tubi
1
Time of Eve: The Movie (2010)
There were several movies I could have ended this list with, but Time of Eve is a fairly unique entry that a lot of anime fans will enjoy. Unlike Angel’s Egg, where the visual imagery mostly drives the plot forward, Time of Eve largely relies on dialogue as its primary storytelling vehicle.
The story takes place almost entirely in a café, aptly named Time of Eve, where a variety of humans and androids interact in surprising ways. Through their conversations, viewers are introduced to higher concepts revolving around technology and identity, with many alluding to Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics.
While Rikuo Sakisaka serves as the story’s protagonist, Time of Eve is less about a single character’s arc and focuses more on exploring what motivates androids in a society where they are gradually gaining independence. It’s an engaging watch built on surprisingly thoughtful dialogue and careful world building, constantly inviting you to question who is human and who is synthetic among the café’s patrons.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
