Denshattack! review – time to get on board with kickflipping trains
Denshattack! is a new video game from Barcelona-based developer Undercoders that reimagines extreme sports action on trains, blending the trick-based mechanics of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater with the counter-cultural spirit of Jet Set Radio. Set in a dystopian, post-climate-disaster Japan where wealthy citizens shelter in corporate domed cities, the game follows aspiring "Denshattacker" Emi as she battles rival gangs performing tricks on the ruins of the country's rail network. The Guardian's review praises it as colourful, weird and exhilarating, noting that its outlandish premise is matched by surprisingly hardcore, substantial gameplay.
The game is available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2. It gradually introduces mechanics over several hours before opening into races, score attacks and challenge levels, with boss battles against creations such as a tunnelling mole-train and a vinyl record-powered castle cited as highlights. Levels draw heavily on Japanese culture, referencing kabuki theatre and the manga Initial D, while rival characters reflect various eras of Japanese subcultural misfits. The reviewer particularly praises how classic skating-game mechanics feel reinvigorated when applied to trains, calling the combo-chaining gameplay hard to fault.
- Denshattack! mixes Tony Hawk's-style tricks with Jet Set Radio's rebellious tone
- Set in dystopian future Japan, players kickflip trains as gangs battle
- Reviewed as colourful, exhilarating and surprisingly hardcore to play
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