Denshattack! grabbed me almost immediately. As a longtime Jet Set Radio fan, the vibe hit fast: bold colours, rebellious energy, stylised Japanese towns, a soundtrack that keeps the pulse up. But this is no clone. The moment you start playing, it becomes clear that Denshattack! is doing something genuinely its own.
The Addictive Gameplay Loop
You control a nimble train through a dystopian, corporation-choked Japan, grinding rails, switching tracks, jumping and chaining tricks, drift-boosting through corners, and honking your way past obstacles. The scoring system rewards both speed and style simultaneously: your final result is based on time (lower is better) and trick points (more is better), so you’re constantly balancing clean, fast movement with flashy combos. It’s a tension that keeps every run feeling dynamic.
What makes it surprisingly accessible is how the trick system works. Combos are pulled off with the right analogue stick, making them easy to stumble into naturally rather than demanding the precise finger gymnastics of something like Tony Hawk. Crucially, a bad trick landing doesn’t send you flying off a ledge, you keep moving forward, which removes a lot of the frustration that can make score-chasers feel punishing. The gameplay stays seamless and quick, testing your reflexes without constantly resetting your momentum (unless you hit an obstacle or fail to switch to the right track). It all clicks together into a loop that feels genuinely satisfying once it’s in your hands.
A World Worth Railing Through
The story frames you as a ramen-delivery underdog finding your place in a post-apocalyptic Japan, taking on the Miraidō corporation while crossing regions, meeting rival gangs, and slowly building a reputation as a legendary Denshattacker. It’s not a deep narrative, but the characters and setting carry enough personality to keep the journey colourful. The anti-corporate, punk energy feels authentic rather than cosmetic, and the world design — spanning cities, countryside, and more surreal environments — gives each area its own visual identity.
The soundtrack, with contributions from Tee Lopes among others, is a clear highlight. It keeps the energy exactly where it needs to be and draws an obvious line back to the Jet Set Radio era of games that understood music as part of the gameplay feel, not just background noise.
Replayability and Room to Grow
Each level comes with optional dares and collectibles that push you to replay stages and improve your medal rating, and beating your own scores is a natural pull once the mechanics click. The replayability is strong without feeling forced.
The game does leave you wanting more in some areas — additional cosmetics, more train variety, and a competitive leaderboard or multiplayer mode would all be welcome additions down the line. These are absences rather than flaws, and they speak more to the potential here than to anything missing from the current experience.
A Breath of Fresh Air
In a landscape crowded with remasters and familiar franchises playing it safe, Denshattack! is a genuinely original idea executed with creativity and confidence. It’s more accessible than Jet Set Radio ever was, easier to pick up than Tony Hawk, and immediately fun in a way that feels earned rather than engineered. Undercoders and Fireshine Games have built something with real personality, and it deserves to find its audience.
Don’t miss out: Denshattack! releases July 15, 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
