What happens if you take a speeding train that can ollie 50ft into the air, do kickflips, wallride, and ride Ferris Wheels, and turn it into a fully fledged game with over 50 levels full of collectibles and challenges? You get one of 2026’s most intriguing propositions.
In case you missed it, I got the chance to play an exclusive hands-on preview demo of Denshattack!, and used a highly original (sarcasm alert) way of describing it: Tony Hawks With Trains. That’s because it really is!
This is a compliment in the biggest way to one of the franchises that clearly inspired the game, but to Denshattack! itself because of how well made it is, and there are big expectations for some of the most maniacal and magnificent gameplay you’ve ever seen. I thought I’d take the chance to ask developer Undercoders a few questions about a game I’m very excited about.
Insider Gaming Denshattack! Interview
Was there a particular reason you decided to keep Denshattack! as a linear, on-rails, level-based experience? You obviously get some sections, like the pipes/barrels, where the train can move freely, but was there ever a point when Denshattack! was going to be more freeing and open?
“When we came up with the concept of a train doing skate tricks, we kind of embraced the idea of the game working on rails, as it felt quite unique. We tried to stick to that principle throughout development, with a few exceptions like the ones mentioned in the question and some special set pieces, such as the Ferris wheel from the demo.
Designing levels and mechanics that give players a sense of freedom while still being rail-bound has been a really interesting and fun challenge. We came up with systems like multi-tracks, rail switchers, wallrides and looping sections, which allowed us to create a level of mobility that’s much higher than in a typical on-rails game. We even have some exploration-based levels that focus more on getting familiar with the terrain, mentally mapping out the circuit and completing objectives.
As for the level-based structure, we decided to split the game into relatively short levels because of how intense the action can get. With the speed at which things move and the number of actions required per second, we found it can be hard to stay fully focused for long stretches of time!”
How many levels and skateparks are there, and how much gameplay can players expect?
“We’re still finishing the content as we speak and doing our first full playthroughs, but the game already has well over 50 levels and offers quite a substantial amount of gameplay. We’ve focused on quality over quantity, trying to keep things fresh, varied and original throughout the adventure.
That said, players can expect a fairly long playtime, even if they’re not aiming to complete every challenge or collect everything.”
It’s no secret that the likes of Sonic, Tony Hawks, and Jet Set Radio have been big influences on the game, but my mind also thought of Thumper with the on-rails movements. Was there any thought to make Denshattack! rhythm-based? And is there a particular playstyle players are encouraged to embrace in Denshattack!?
“Indeed, both Thumper and rhythm games as a genre have been references, particularly when it came to designing the basic driving experience. With Denshattack! we’ve tried to create gameplay that can be understood in two layers. The base layer, or basic driving, is about getting through the level without crashing: reading the terrain, anticipating curves, balancing the train from side to side, and braking or drifting when needed. This part works a bit like a rhythm game and is meant to put players into a state of flow.
On top of that we’ve built the tricks layer, which is all about player expression and making the most out of the circuits by maximizing your score and reaching the goal in style.”
Are there post-launch content plans?
“We would absolutely love to keep adding content to the game after release. We really hope the game is well received so we get the chance to further explore many of the mechanics, designs, game modes and even story arcs that appeared during development but didn’t make the cut for one reason or another.
Since we started developing the game, the levels have become much larger and more complex as we kept adding new mechanics, systems, challenges, traps and so on. As a result, the set of tools we built to design them has also become proportionally more complicated.
Turning those tools into something that would be usable for players would definitely be a challenge, but at the same time we’d love to see what people could create with them. It’s something we’d really like to explore post-launch!
Finally, in the couple of levels I got to play, I commanded a Ferris Wheel, rampaged through a city, and even did a classic Crash Bandicoot running at the screen experience: How much wilder does Denshattack! get?
“It definitely gets wilder! One of our goals when designing the levels was to keep surprising players throughout the adventure. Since the setting and mechanics allow for a lot of creative situations, we approached many of the set pieces with a simple mindset: if an idea sounded fun, we would ask ourselves “why not?” and try to make it work.”
Denshattack! launches on June 17 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
If you’re interested and want to try the game out for yourself, a free demo is available to play on Steam. Let us know what you think of it through the Insider Gaming Discord.
Andy is Insider Gaming's Senior Evergreen Editor and has been in the games journalism sphere in one way or another for over 7 years. His video game taste is as…
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