I didn’t know a lot about Denshattack when I attended my preview at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, but I thought I owed it to my colleague and friend, George Foster, to check the game out.
He’s somebody who is pleased by bright colours and has a penchant for games similar to this, and he’s been raving about it since its Gamescom reveal. So, when the opportunity arose to preview it and ultimately hold bragging rights over him, I took it — and boy, am I glad I did because its fast, skill-based action and funky music has me counting down the days until it launches.
Denshattack Is Ready To Bring Back The Attitude Of Jet Set Radio
I knew Denshattack featured trains; that’s about as deep as my knowledge was heading into my preview at Tokyo Game Show. It turns out, though, that it’s a super fast-paced, skill-based arcadey platformer, where you control a train across hazardous jumps and perform tricks to rack up a high score. If it sounds like a lot, that’s because it is. But it’s also a lot of fun.
My demo began with a cutscene in a post-apocalyptic version of Japan, where the city had been laid to ruin, but small pockets of people still remained. If you’ve been to Japan, you’ll know how excellent the public transportation network is, so, despite all the carnage, it’s no surprise that the train tracks are still in mostly working order.
It transpires that these tracks have been overtaken by gangs who use them to whip their trains around at breakneck speeds, performing tricks and competing in high-score competitions called Denshattack.
After using the rails to make a delivery, my innate skills were spotted by a Denshattacker, who offered to show me the ropes before leading me to compete in tournaments. I then set off with the game’s tutorial, and suffice to say, there was a lot to take in, and I failed it a lot.
I started by having to make simple jumps over broken tracks or changing lanes to avoid hazards, but it quickly evolved into pulling off gnarly kickflips or barrel rolls to rack up my high score. It had the feel of a 3D Sonic game, rushing along rails at a lightning pace, avoiding everything in my path, except this time, I had dozens of tricks in my arsenal.
This arsenal is exceptionally deep. Different tricks can be performed by pressing combinations of buttons and making specific motions with the analog stick, and what started as ollies and kick-flips soon became some of the more obscure, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater-esque tricks. When combined with the constant dangers, Denshattack becomes a frightfully frenetic time. It’s precisely the sort of thing I can envisage high-score chasers latching onto.
The tracks I played managed to capture the unique beauty of Japan while adding their own dystopian twists.
Given I only had a short time with the game, I felt like I’d barely scratched the surface of what I’d be able to do, and I certainly wasn’t even very good at that, but that didn’t stop me from having a great time, which, in part, was thanks to the game’s immaculate vibes.
Denshattack is set in what its developers describe as a “Japanese dystopia”, and the country, which is already full of bright lights and unusual sights, is really brought to life by the game’s developers. The tracks I played managed to capture the unique beauty of Japan while adding their own dystopian twists.
This level design is all brought to life by a stunning cel-shaded art style, reminiscent of the Dreamcast’s classic Jet Set Radio, which incidentally could be returning soon, and a bopping, equally as edgy soundtrack. It’s one of the most ‘vibey’ games I’ve played since Persona, except it doesn’t have the teenage angst or threats of violence. At least, I don’t think.
I have no doubt Denshattack is going to become an indie smash. Its frantic pace, combined with its depth of tricks and high-score-chasing, one-more-run hook is exactly the type of thing audiences have been yearning for recently.
It’s an utterly unique premise, in a wonderful setting, with great art and even better music, and I have to thank George for opening my eyes to this beauty.
Released
2026
ESRB
E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence
Developer(s)
Undercoders
Publisher(s)
Fireshine Games
AloJapan.com