What happens when you combine an anime, game, and trains? Well, you get Denshattack! This game throws you straight into a fast-paced journey where every trick counts. As a story-driven game with a striking visual style, it combines quick reaction-based gameplay with a quirky world and memorable characters that you’ll want to meet again.
Developed by Spanish indie studio Undercoders and published by Fireshine Games, Denshattack! is a 3D action-arcade game that puts a completely different spin on train-based gameplay. Released on 15 July 2026, the game is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series XS, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Rather than simply driving a train from one station to another, players get to flip, grind, and perform gravity-defying tricks while racing through colourful environments inspired by Japan. With its anime-inspired aesthetics, energetic gameplay, and unusual concept, it certainly stands out from your typical action game.
Beyond the chaotic train stunts, Denshattack! also has a story to tell. Set in a dystopian version of Japan, the game follows a crew of rebellious misfits as they take on the powerful Miraido Corporation, which has sealed the country’s major cities under domes. Your goal is to fight back against this controlling corporation while working your way towards becoming the ultimate Denshattacker.
Along the way, you’ll explore different regions, encounter interesting characters, and uncover a world that is just as colourful and eccentric as its gameplay.
Once upon a train…
The storyline of Denshattack is very straightforward, and honestly, I don’t mind it considering how chaotic the gameplay can get. You have the familiar rebels vs government setup, featuring a cast of unique characters. It is simple, but it fits the overall tone of the game.
Throughout your journey, you will encounter various characters who may initially appear as enemies, but gradually become your friends, offering support and helping the protagonist grow along the way. These evolving relationships add a sense of warmth and innocence to the storyline, reminding players that even the most unexpected encounters can lead to friendship and personal growth.
The story also manages to sneak in some moral values without feeling like it is trying too hard to teach you something. You can stop by an onsen and read more about the game’s characters and the overall lore of the environment and settings of Denshattack. It’s a nice change of pace from constantly speeding through the levels.
The characters are also what make the story so much fun. You will meet plenty of characters with their own personalities and backgrounds, and each one adds something different to your journey towards becoming the best Denshattacker. This can include upgrades, abilities and so on.
For example, Kaoru is also one of the earliest characters you will meet, and she gives you cute stickers for your densha! The more you progress, the more decals you get, helping to make your densha more hectic than it already is. You can obtain more stickers by collecting spray cans scattered throughout each map, which seems hard, but believe me, you will collect so many before you realize it.
Train upgrades don’t come up until almost halfway of the game, but that is really when you needed it. Your choices for upgrades also add up the more you play the game. In order to obtain new trains with new abilities, you will have to pay for them with parts or gears, which can also be collected while exploring maps. While gears are less abundant than spray cans, you will still be able to buy multiple different trains in no time!
It’s also interesting that each train will only give you one upgrade and one downgrade, which gives players the flexibility to pick different trains based on the map they are playing through.
Must… do… tricks!
Get ready for some rage-inducing gameplay if your reaction time isn’t the best (totally not me). Denshattack! is a fast-paced game where players control a train and perform tricks, combos, and manoeuvres while navigating challenging courses. The tutorial does a great job of introducing the different mechanics, gradually teaching players how to time their movements and chain tricks together until they become second nature.
Despite its fast pace, the game requires more than just quick reflexes. Certain sections demand precise timing, meaning players need to pay attention to upcoming obstacles and learn when to execute their moves. This creates a satisfying cycle of learning, failing, and trying again until you finally pull off the perfect sequence. There’s always something new to practise, giving players plenty of opportunities to improve their skills as they progress.
Thankfully, crashing doesn’t always feel like a punishment. The friends you meet throughout the story offer encouragement when things go wrong, making failure feel a little less frustrating. These small moments of support provide a nice breather between challenging sections, especially when you’ve been attempting the same sequence over and over again.
Just when you think you’ve mastered the controls, the game introduces even more mechanics and tricks to learn. Reaching the halfway point doesn’t mean you’ve seen everything it has to offer. New challenges can feel overwhelming at first, but once you become familiar with the controls, pulling off complicated manoeuvres starts to feel much more natural. The game constantly pushes you to adapt rather than relying on the same tricks throughout your journey.
The variety in its objectives also helps keep the gameplay interesting. Some levels require players to complete specific tasks that tie directly into the storyline, adding more purpose to each challenge than simply reaching the finish line. There are also moments when the game completely changes your expectations, leaving you wondering, “Wait… you mean I DON’T need train tracks anymore?!” It’s these unexpected twists that make exploring its mechanics so entertaining.
However, achieving a high score is easier said than done. Players need to balance several things at once, from avoiding upcoming obstacles and getting their timing right to performing tricks that maximise their points. As more mechanics are introduced, keeping track of everything can become overwhelming. There were moments when I felt the game was throwing a little too much at me, especially when I was still trying to get comfortable with the previous mechanics.
There is also a sense of progression outside of simply completing stages. Fernando’s Magazine is an interactive booklet that shares more information about the characters in the game, with various interesting facts about them that can be unlocked once you reach a goal. You’ll need to unlock all the parts to witness the beautiful designs Fernando has made for his magazine.
If you want to fill up Fernando’s magazine, then you’re going to need to land those high scores. Suddenly, replaying a level you have already completed doesn’t feel so pointless anymore. You start chasing better scores, better runs and, eventually, telling yourself, “Okay, just one more try.” And that’s where the addiction begins.
Attractive design!
The design of Denshattack is clean and simple, while still capturing the chaotic energy of the game. The visual style captures the feeling of riding a train, from its environments to the little details scattered throughout the journey.
Even from the main menu, you can already tell that you are about to be met by some hectic gameplay. However, the loading screen provides a nice moment of calm before throwing you back into the action.
The most attractive page in my opinion has to be the pause page. It’s very sharp and neat and also provides some information on the spot, such as what chapter we are in and what abilities apply to our current train .
One detail I especially enjoyed is how your progress is represented through the characters you meet along the way. Instead of simply feeling like you’re defeating enemies, it feels like you’re slowly building your own group of friends. It is a small design choice, but it makes the journey feel much more personal.
Mayhaps a more compelling route?
Overall, I would say the storytelling and the gameplay served me well. But, I also think it would be more interesting if the game took its time to give us a more intense storyline that would allow us to become more attached to the characters. Currently, the game felt like I was only passing by each character, with the story feeling like it solely revolved around Emi at one point.
In terms of gameplay, I would like to see a future update where trains can have more than 2 upgrades at a time. Since the game is fairly fast-paced, I would find it more enjoyable if I could secure a few more advantages as I go.
Verdict
Denshattack! may have a simple storyline, but its gameplay is what truly makes the journey immersive. The fast-paced mechanics, quirky characters, different objectives and constant introduction of new tricks keep the experience moving without making it feel like you’re doing the same thing over and over again. As suggested, I do hope the characters’ identities could be strengthened in a future update, as I think it is important for players to become attached to the characters.
The game definitely takes some time to get used to, especially when it comes to reaction speed and timing, but that learning process is part of the fun. Every failed attempt feels like another chance to improve, and finally getting a difficult sequence right is incredibly satisfying.
And once you finally finish the main journey, don’t stop there! There are still side quests, score chasing, character interactions and other little things to dive into. So if you’re looking for a game that can make you laugh, rage, learn new tricks and somehow convince you to say “one more round” at 2AM, Denshattack! might just keep you hooked.
