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The action games market has already seen plenty of strange ideas, but Denshattack! easily ranks among the most original projects of recent months. The Undercoders studio’s production blends the vibe of arcade trick games with a futuristic Japan, anime aesthetics and the absurd premise that players control trains performing skateboarding-style tricks. Ahead of its launch on 15 July, the developers decided to show the first major duel in the game and revealed the character Yoshie, the first boss the protagonist will face. The mere description of this fight shows that Denshattack! does not intend to go down the route of safe, predictable choices. Instead, it is preparing a spectacle that looks like a mix of Jet Set Radio, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and a mad mech anime.
In this game you fight with a train, pull off tricks and take on a giant mech
Denshattack! is a fast-paced action game built around stunts, racing and combat, in which players control… a train. But this isn’t an ordinary locomotive chugging along the tracks, because in the game’s world the machine can jump, grind on handrails, bounce off walls and pull off flashy combos like a skateboarder from classic sports titles. The action takes place in a futuristic, dystopian Japan, where a climate disaster has split society into wealthy residents sealed inside domes and outsiders living beyond them. The Denshattack movement comes from that latter group; they took over disused railway lines and turned them into an arena for underground duels. The protagonist, Emi, is a young ramen delivery driver who finds herself in that world and sets out on a journey across different regions of Japan. Along the way she meets new allies, develops her skills and faces local gangs that control each area. Each chapter is meant to end with a major boss fight that acts as a culmination of the mechanics introduced earlier. The developers stress they were inspired by the classic shonen anime structure, where every important opponent has their own style, personality and a spectacular final showdown. In practice this means fights that go beyond simply dodging attacks and dealing damage. The player’s train can avoid strikes, parry projectiles, jump off elements of the environment and even smash into enormous machines with force. It’s this idea that should set Denshattack! apart from other action games and give every fight its own character. The developers want bosses to be not just an obstacle but a full test of everything the player has learned in that chapter. The first shown duel clearly suggests the studio takes this element very seriously. If the subsequent fights are equally inventive, Denshattack! could become one of the most surprising releases of this summer.
Yoshie looks like an influencer, but turns into a mecha and turns the fight into a full-on anime show
The first revealed boss was Yoshie, an influencer from Fukuoka who, within the game world, became so popular that the authorities regarded her as a threat. Her visual design draws heavily from gyaru culture, the Japanese subculture that favours a striking style, daring makeup and confidence. This is visible not only in her appearance but also in the train itself and the whole staging of the duel. The most spectacular moment of the fight comes when Yoshie undergoes a transformation inspired by anime like Sailor Moon and sentai series. Her train links up with units belonging to her gang and transforms into a giant mecha resembling a magical girl. In this form there are decorative bows, hearts, stars and an over-the-top aesthetic intended to make the fight both absurd and spectacular. The duel is split into several phases in which the player must recognise attack patterns, switch tracks quickly, dodge blows and look for chances to counterattack. Emi uses tricks and combos to reach the main part of the confrontation, then attacks the mecha with grinds, aerial strikes and precisely aimed manoeuvres. Importantly, all these mechanics are introduced earlier in the first chapter, and the fight with Yoshie is meant to be a test of mastering the whole moveset. The developers also paid attention to the musical presentation. Yoshie’s theme was created in collaboration with composer Sean Bialo, Vocaloid producer Yunosuke and singer Alice Peralty, who herself is associated with the gyaru aesthetic. This shows the studio wants to build the bosses’ atmosphere not only through mechanics but also through music, style and storytelling. The most interesting thing, however, is that Yoshie is only the first major opponent in the game. Since players are already fighting a giant anime-style mecha at the start, it’s easy to imagine how far the developers might go in later chapters.
Denshattack! looks set to be one of the most insane and original action games of the year. A mix of tricks, racing, a dystopian Japan and train battles with anime mechs sounds absurd, but that is precisely the game's greatest strength. If the rest of the bosses are as inventive as Yoshie, Undercoders could really surprise players when it launches on 15 July.
source: PlayStation
