“Let’s make a better world”: Denshattack’s developers on counterculture, biker gangs, and the optimism of fighting a mecha with a train
Denshattack is an upbeat train-driving game with a deliberately rebellious spirit, pitting players against a rogue technology corporation responsible for inequality, surveillance, misinformation, police violence and AI-driven loss of craft. Its developers at Undercoders say the game’s politics were not planned as a statement, but emerged naturally from building a near-future Japan inspired by contemporary anxieties and countercultural skateboarding influences.
Director David Jaumandreu and producer-designer Àngel Beltran said development began with a prototype in 2022, before AI and data centres became such prominent concerns. They connect the game’s outlook to a desire to reclaim and reshape the world, while noting that their earlier satire SuperEpic: The Entertainment War also became more relevant after release as microtransactions, cryptocurrency failures and games-industry layoffs intensified its themes.
- Denshattack turns anti-corporate concerns into optimistic train-based action.
- Developers say its political themes emerged organically.
- The game reflects growing anxieties around AI and surveillance.