u/Shanadarako

I just found out that I finished Pragmata on her birthday. I tried to play back in early August on the Xbox, but my game kept crashing so I delayed until I could play on the PS5. I was initially going to play slowly, but something urged me to charge through the second half on Oct 5th, where I stopped one hour short of finishing the game until the 7th.

I don't have any great words to offer or an in-depth review. I just wanted to marvel on the happy coincidence as I let the experience continue to sink in (I'm listening to the ending theme even as I type this). Also to say that Grace did a bang up job at bringing Diana to life.

Started this game a couple of weeks ago and having a blast with it (my first cozy game). Made it to the Beach Festival and wanted to know the song used in the rhythm game at the end. From what I could tell, it was a Chinese song with a female voice (about 3.5 mins long). I tried to find it by watching playthroughs on YT, but the song is always different. I haven't been able to find it in the official OST either. I thought about visiting the in-game music shop to see if I could find it, but then my Game Pass expired so I won't be able to play Starsand Island again for a little bit.

I'd really like to find it since it made the end of my festival feel so special. Any help is appreciated.

Since my first playthrough was so compelling, I thought I'd chime in on the great experience of DBH. Compared to my subsequent playthroughs for the Platinum Trophy, my first still feels like the strongest (especially since I had no expectations or knowledge of what would come). Here is a summary of each storyline:

Kara

Thematically, this was my favorite storyline in the game. In contrast to Markus & Connor reshaping society, it was nice to just see one of the many stories of androids trying to adjust & survive within the turmoil of these changes. How the bond between Kara & Alice was tested really moved me. Admittedly, I found myself prioritizing her safety & happiness because I perceived her as being human. That's why the revelation of her being an android hit the themes of this game home harder for me.

To start, I moved only after Todd pulled off his belt. I didn't yet understand what red ice was, so I was hoping he was just getting high and would fizz out after ranting a bit. I ended up struggling to save Alice and we never saw Todd again.

As for major choices, I always prioritized doing the right thing to set a good example for Alice. When she insisted on not stealing the laundry, I knew I didn't want to betray those feelings. I ended up staying in Ralph's house, which ended up being my favorite shelter. It was uncomfortable and very awkward, but made for better bonding moments between Kara & Alice. For the most part, I was constantly rewarded for this mindset. At least, until the bus stop. I crossed the river, but it came at the cost of Luther's life. It was a good lesson that always doing the right thing should never come with the expectation of a reward.

Most nerve-racking moment for me was escaping Zlatko's house. Kara's memory was reset and the 10 minute countdown had me panicking. Hiding from Zlatko was very anxiety inducing, especially getting caught at the very end.

The most heartwarming moment was definitely the merry-go-round at the Pirates' Cove. Alice's smile was the most rewarding part of struggling to survive.

Connor

I spent most of this storyline pissing Hank off. I thought he was going to be the archetype of a dysfunctional yet hardboiled detective who only cares about solving the case and likes when his determined, go-getter partner does whatever it takes to finish the mission. Biggest slap in the face for me was when I left Hank on the rooftop because he had an 89% chance of survival. It took until The Bridge to realize how sensitive he was. The lesson I learned with his character was to give him space and let him come around (instead of lecturing him about the calories in his meal).

Connor ended up dying four times (saving Emma, chasing Kara on the highway, getting shot by Hank, saving Hank from the deviant in Stratford Tower). The turning point for me was deciding not to shoot Chloe. That's where I started to see blue arrows on Hank's relationship for the first time in earnest. For personal interpretation, I also saw Connor's deaths & fragmented memories as a ripe chance to steer him towards becoming a deviant. From there, I saved Hank at Cyberlife and got to see them hug it out post credits.

Coming back for the full machine route was actually really fun though. Connor was insanely brutal, especially with the Tracis in the interrogation room. Most satisfying moment was laying waste to soldiers (Jericho, the vantage point). Markus vs Connor at the climax of the revolution was one of my favorite moments for that story path.

Markus

With Markus, I started by being philosophical. Read Plato at Carl's house and my painting was about feeling like a prisoner. I pushed back against Leo and thought I killed him. Seeing Carl's reaction was heartbreaking and I decided I didn't want to hurt anyone again as Markus. So I went the pacifist route...all the way. I'll admit, there were many times I thought I was going to get a bad ending for following this path. There were several instances where I was tempted to fight back. At a certain point, I didn't believe humans would ever be reasoned with and nothing would get through to them. But I held onto the faint hope that standing by the ideals of peaceful freedom would shine through.

I managed to keep everyone alive and we all sang it out in the end. It was interesting because I took a brief break after the raid on Jericho. And when I came back to finish the game, the main menu Chloe was singing "Hold On." I think that might have been what planted the idea to take a gamble with that choice.

Final Thoughts

My personal favorite ending is the peaceful demonstration with Alice, Kara & Luther making it through the checkpoint because of good public opinion. On my second playthrough, I actually tried this but with Markus's violent revolution. The moment I saw the security guy look up at the TV, my stomach sank and I knew what was coming. It was a reminder that sometimes, individuals will be unfairly punished for the actions of others.

The final trophy I went for was Kara & Alice surviving the death camp. I'd never been caught up to that point, so mentions of the "recall centers" never really stirred much up in me. It was one thing for Markus & North to talk about android genocide, but seeing it first hand was a literal game changer. It honestly made me want to go back and choose violent revolution (still glad I stayed peaceful though). It really hammered home the absolutely dehumanizing terror of it all.

I really enjoy these stories that blur the lines between AI & humans, often putting that question of the soul at the forefront. While I obviously don't think the androids are literally human, being made in our likeness and "endowed with free will" (favorite Kamski line) made me a firm believer that anything made in our image with the capacity to reason & feel deserves the same rights & dignities.

After living & breathing this game for a week, it's going to be surreal to put it away. Thankfully, I still haven't finished the flowcharts, so there's plenty more to look forward to the next time I return.