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The action-game market has already seen plenty of strange ideas, but Denshattack! easily ranks among the most original projects of recent months. The release from studio Undercoders blends the vibe of arcade-style trick games with a futuristic Japan, anime aesthetics, and the absurd premise that players control trains performing skateboarding-style tricks. Ahead of its July 15 release, the developers decided to show the first major showdown in the game and revealed the character Yoshie, the first boss the main heroine will face. The mere description of this fight shows that Denshattack! doesn't intend to take the safe, predictable route. Instead it promises a spectacle that looks like a mix of Jet Set Radio, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and a crazy mecha anime.
In this game you battle as a train, pull off tricks, and take down a giant mech
Denshattack! is a fast-paced action game built around tricks, racing and combat, in which players control... a train. But it’s not an ordinary locomotive riding on tracks, because in the game world the machine can jump, grind rails, bounce off walls and string together flashy combos like a skateboarder from classic sports titles. The action takes place in a futuristic, dystopian Japan where a climate catastrophe split society into wealthy residents sealed inside domes and outsiders living beyond them. The Denshattack movement comes from that second group; they took over abandoned rail lines and turned them into an arena for underground duels. The protagonist, Emi, is a young ramen delivery rider who gets pulled into that world and begins a journey through different regions of Japan. Along the way she meets allies, upgrades her skills and faces off against local gangs that control each area. Each chapter is meant to end with a big boss fight that acts as a culmination of the mechanics introduced earlier. The developers say they were inspired by the classic shonen anime structure, where every major 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 evade blows, parry projectiles, leap across environmental elements, and even slam into massive machines. That idea is meant to set Denshattack! apart from other action games and give each encounter its own character. The team wants bosses to be not just obstacles but a full test of everything the player learned in that chapter. The first shown duel makes it clear the studio takes this element very seriously. If the upcoming fights are equally inventive, Denshattack! could become one of the most surprising releases 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! promises to be one of the craziest and most original action games of the year. A blend of stunts, racing, a dystopian Japan and train battles with anime mechs sounds absurd, but that's exactly where this game's biggest strength lies. If the other bosses prove as inventive as Yoshie, Undercoders could really surprise players at launch on July 15.
source: PlayStation
