Denshattack! review: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater with trains — 2026's most inventive arcade score-chaser

Premise & Setting

Players take the role of Emi, a former ramen delivery driver in a near-future Japan devastated by climate change. The wealthy population lives inside sterile domed cities built and controlled by the sinister megacorporation Miraidō (Miraido), which also operates the high-speed rail network . Emi joins a crew of outcasts — including Madoka and Yoshie — to fight back, reclaim abandoned railway tracks, and liberate movement from corporate control .

The world is a vibrant, Japanese-inspired dystopia with anime aesthetics, neon-lit rails, and post-disaster landscapes that draw direct comparison to Jet Set Radio's cel-shaded rebellion style . The game's stages are modelled after real Japanese train lines, and the story unfolds across regions from Kyushu to Hokkaido .

Gameplay Mechanics

The core loop is "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater with trains" . Players control a single customizable, gravity-defying train cart, performing skateboarding-style tricks — ollies, kickflips, grinds — across rollercoaster-like railway courses .

• Trick system: String together combos on rails, ramps, and obstacles to build score multipliers
• Customization: Modify your train cart's appearance (some reviewers noted this feels limited compared to the core gameplay)
• Boss battles: Face off against rival crew leaders like Yoshie in trick-based showdowns
• Hub world / crew: Interact with a cast of outcasts between missions

The game has been described as a collision of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater with 3D Sonic speed and rail-grinding, alongside comparisons to Jet Set Radio for its style, rebellion theme, and cel-shaded aesthetic . Le Monde praised it as a worthy successor to Jet Set Radio's spirit .

Critical Reception

Denshattack! holds a Metacritic score of 88 (PC, based on 23 critic reviews) and 89 (PS5), indicating Generally Favorable reviews .

• Hey Poor Player: 100/100 — "An absolute must-play... the vibes are immaculate and the game feels this good"
• CGMagazine: 9/10 — "A resounding success and a benchmark for other titles in the genre"
• Noisy Pixel: 8/10 — praised the gameplay loop and style, calling it "creative, exhilarating, and easily one of the most memorable games I've played this year"
• Mirror (UK): 4/5 — "An extremely special arcade experience that is unabashedly itself"
• PC Gamer: Mixed — called it "an inconsistent spectacle that fails to make good use of its chosen themes"
• Le Monde (France): Highly positive — praised its wacky genre collision and Jet Set Radio spirit
• Steam user reviews: "Very Positive" — 98% positive from 61 reviews

Minor Criticisms

• Story pacing: Some reviewers noted the story and characters don't land as well as the gameplay. Hey Poor Player explicitly said "the story and characters don't do much for me" .
• Train customization: Some outlets noted customization feels limited or underdeveloped compared to the excellent moment-to-moment gameplay .
• Overall inconsistency: PC Gamer found the spectacle didn't fully cohere into a satisfying whole .

Common Comparisons

• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater — trick/score-chaser loop
• Jet Set Radio — style, rebellion, cel-shaded aesthetic
• 3D Sonic games — high-speed rail traversal

Release Date Background

• March 2026 — Denshattack! was revealed during Nintendo's Indie World Showcase, where a June 17, 2026 release date was announced . A free demo launched on Steam and Switch 2 eShop at the same time .
• June 4, 2026 — Undercoders announced via social media that the game was delayed to allow "a little more time to cook" . The delay was for bug fixing, 60fps stability across all platforms, and the addition of full Japanese voice acting by community request .
• June 17 → July 15, 2026 — The final release date shifted to July 15, 2026 across all platforms .
• July 15, 2026 — Game launched globally on all announced platforms .
• Notable: Xbox initially omitted Denshattack! from its July Game Pass lineup announcement, but Undercoders confirmed to Vandal that it was indeed a day-one Game Pass title .

How to Play

Denshattack! is available now on:

• PC (Steam) — $19.99, with a free demo still available
• PlayStation 5 — $19.99
• Xbox Series X|S — $19.99, included with Game Pass
• Nintendo Switch 2 — $19.99

The main campaign runs 8–10 hours, with additional challenge modes focused on score-chasing and trick mastery .