Denshattack is a stylish game that harkens back to the days of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and Jet Set Radio, and it’s pure off-the-rails arcade-y goodness. I’ve been going through the story and trying to perfect the tracks in my free time, so here are my thoughts after several hours of playing through it.
NOTE: Full disclosure, I received a review copy of the game.
Flip, Grind, & Wreak Havoc
In Denshattack, you drive high-speed trains through a futuristic dystopian version of Japan’s prefectures, and these things quite literally go off the rails. As you leap into the air, you can perform a wide variety of tricks as you jump around and dodge all sorts of hazards, racking up points along the way.
Why can your train jump? Don’t worry about it. What’s the deal with the seemingly post-apocalyptic Japan setting? Climate change, and I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoilers.
All you need to know is that you’re a train driver who stumbles into the eponymous sport. What’s the sport all about? Well, it’s about doing tricks with a train. Like I said, don’t think about it too hard.
High Speed, High on Vibes
The game is an unadulterated, high-octane arcade experience that just happens to have a somewhat engaging story, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
It ramps up in intensity just as fast as your train speeds through the tracks, and while “just flick your joysticks around” works at the start, it quickly evolves into… well, a crazy blend of varying mechanics that you can engage with as you try to avoid crashing into a wall, the ground, giant sea monsters, you name it.
As you progress through the different regions, you’ll meet rival gangs inspired by real Japanese subcultures (gyaru, yanki, just delinquents in general), and you earn their respect by mogging them in their own turf. I love the overall character designs, as each group has their own distinct, thematically-appropriate style.
They aren’t just here because “Japan cool”, because the gangs do actually fit in with the wider narrative of the game, where you get to bring these rebels together to form a ragtag group of misfits and “fight the good fight” so to speak. Again, I’m leaving out spoilers for this review, but just know that it’s pretty “down with the corpo” like Cyberpunk 2077, though a lot more wholesome in its presentation.
Did I mention there are boss fights? Oh yeah, these gangs will have you fighting giant mechs, racing through ghost-ridden cursed areas, performing train kabuki shows, and a lot of other wacky encounters that you get through by… doing skateboard tricks with a locomotive.
All this craziness is accompanied by an energetic soundtrack that’ll have you bobbing your head along to the music, even if you’re completely locked in and trying to rack up gold medals. Speaking of which…
Addicted to the Numbers
The game’s medal system evaluates your performance based on the time you spent completing the track, your total points earned from successfully pulling off tricks, and doing miscellaneous tasks labeled as “dares”.
Think of every level as a score attack challenge where you have to not only complete the track itself, but also finish some of the most random (and I mean that in a positive way) challenges while trying to gain massive points. It’s actually insanely funny how absurd tasks sound when you first read them prior to starting the level.
You’ll see dares like “Grind on the Jukebox” or “Do a trick on sea waves”, which will leave you wondering how the hell you’re supposed to do that until you finally get to the track and go “ah, that’s what you meant”. It’s a blast going through each level and trying to figure out how in the world you’re supposed to get a gold medal, and it’s easier said than done.
In a Nutshell
Although Denshattack is far from being my game of the year, it’s definitely up there as one of the most fun gaming experiences I’ve had in 2026. It’s a game that just feels amazing to play even if you aren’t particularly good at the “skating” mechanics, which to be fair do require some skill to excel in.
The gameplay has you moving so fast that you have to stay alert the whole time, else you’ll crash over and over again. It’s why I’m hesitant to call it a “brain off” game, because you ironically have to lock the hell in if you want to master the tracks. Thankfully, I’ve got a ton of roguelikes that I enjoy for that mindless action.
I’ll keep playing Denshattack even when I’m done with the story, because it’s so easy to just pick up and play for a few minutes at a time. Perfect for a busy individual with (currently) limited playtime, but also a fantastic and affordable pickup for any speed demon looking for their next game to score 100% completion on.