Denshattack! Review
Release Date: 15/07/2026
Platforms: PS5, NS2 XBOX & PC
Platform Played On: PS5
Hours Played: 30
Score: 9/10
Denshattack! is a mix of unique games that ends up being even more unique than the sum of its parts. The best way to describe it is an arcade platformer racer crossed with Tony Hawk's, but with a TRAIN. Yes, a train, flipping and tricking its way through a colourful dystopian Japan.
That concept might sound restrictive at first. You are a train, and a train has to go on rails. However, in practice, it does a really good job of keeping things fresh, with a feel that lands somewhere in the PS2 era in the best possible way. There are a few sandboxy levels that hand you a small city full of crossroads (or crosstracks) that loop back around and let you take different routes, and those give a genuine sense of exploration. But even the standard point-to-point levels stay inventive across the game's 65 main stages. You do not get exploration as such, but you do get multiple routes and hidden tracks leading to collectibles and secrets, which then feed into unlocking new trains and other goodies.
The variety is what carries it. Across those 65 levels you will pass through colourful Japanese cities, lush forests, dark spiritual ghost stages and sunny seaside beaches, and plenty more besides. Somehow none of it burns you out.
On the gameplay side, it is true that most of your time is spent rushing through levels, chaining tricks to keep a combo alive and scanning for collectibles, and on paper that could get repetitive over a runtime this long. The trick system is simple in the best way: everything lives on the right analog stick, from single flicks for the easy stuff up to hardcore multi-spin and half-spin inputs for the big scoring tricks. Manuals let you chain into the next jump and build your multiplier, exactly as you would expect from the genre. Certain levels then layer in their own specific elements that open up new trick types and the game does a great job of slowly introducing new mechanics and ways to trick.
But what really keeps it alive is the level design itself. Every stage feels distinct and looks gorgeous thanks to the art style. One level has you controlling a shark, another puts you on a Ferris wheel, and it just keeps going. Then you add the boss levels, which, without spoiling anything, take the weirdness and crank it into something over the top and genuinely funny while still being epic. Trains transforming into robots. Trains summoning tornadoes…
One absolute standout is the music. The soundtrack pulls in composers like Tee Lopes of Sonic Mania fame, Kohta Takahashi from Ridge Racer and Richard Jacques from Jet Set Radio Future , among other iconic names. The result is a mix of Japanese and English punk rock that fits the pace perfectly.
All in all, I really cannot think of a single negative thing to say. Sure, this is not going to be everyone's cup of tea, purely because of how specific and unique it is. But if any of the games mentioned above appeal to you, give it a try. Genuinely one of the best surprises of the year.
