The two best games of the month share a surprising amount in common, proving that not every new release has to be a sequel or licensed game. The phenomenon of "twin films"—where two movies with similar premises are released around the same time by different companies—has a parallel in gaming with Pragmata and Saros. While not as strikingly similar as Antz and A Bug's Life or Deep Impact and Armageddon, April has hosted two new IPs (though Saros is closely related to Returnal) that are sci-fi third-person shooters with weak narratives but excellent combat.
A Breath of Fresh Air
What makes these games stand out is that they are unashamed video games, prioritizing gameplay and offering experiences that cannot be replicated in other media. Most publishers are terrified of creating new IPs and often avoid requiring players to learn new skills. Yet Pragmata is built around a unique and unusual control system, while Saros builds on Returnal with additional unusual rules and systems that take time to master.
Encouraging Differences
Both games are still third-person shooters, but they are proud of being different and use that as a selling point. Pragmata has already been a sizeable hit, prompting Capcom to raise its forecasts. This success may encourage other publishers to take risks on new franchises, though optimism is required. Publishers are wary of anything that isn't a sequel or based on a well-known property, but they often chase new trends like live service games.
Western vs. Japanese Publishers
Western publishers increasingly focus only on ultra-successful games, with Activision making only one game for over a decade, and Take-Two and EA approaching similar situations. Their answer to rising development costs is to avoid making games that aren't guaranteed mega hits. In contrast, Japanese publishers like Capcom and Nintendo seem content to create new IPs as a byproduct of their business plans. Sony, though technically Japanese, runs its games division from the US and acts increasingly like Western publishers, but it did greenlight Saros despite knowing it wouldn't be a major hit.
Old-Fashioned Values
Pragmata and Saros are linear experiences with a beginning and end, no multiplayer, no microtransactions—just a purchase price. This is refreshing compared to live service games that aim to keep players engaged indefinitely. While Pragmata may not turn Western publishers away from their all-or-nothing approach, the release of two great games of a kind becoming vanishingly rare is reason to rejoice and renew hope for the future.
