Denshattack! Review | TheSixthAxis

I adore it when video games get bizarre, wild, and unexplainable. It was the norm that, alongside heavy hitters and their straight up sequels, we might even have loads of one-off experimental releases or flawed-yet-charming video games sprinkled all through. Now, as the foremost publishers are inclined to play it a lot safer, it’s as much as indie builders to take artistic liberties, and no launch this 12 months is extra emblematic of that than Denshattack! In spite of everything, what different sport are you able to play that allows you to do kickflips, wall-jumps and ollies as a literal prepare?

It’s instantly apparent that Denshattack is a love letter to anime. Overlook the not-so-subtle Akira slide snuck right into a cutscene, from second one of many sport you’re launched to a hyper-stylized sci-fi world the place cities are constructed inside bubbles, and every area is managed by a hot-blooded and aggressive Denshattacker. Denshattackers, naturally, are those that drive trains with the purpose of doing sick tips off unattainable rails constructed throughout each inch of this hyper-coloured dystopia. Lots of them are gang leaders butting heads underneath the not-so-subtle affect of the shadowy Miraidō company. As plucky soba delivery-person and novice Denshattacker Emi, you shortly got down to flip the tides of those rivalries, win over every chief to your trigger, and finally take down the megacorp utilizing the ability of friendship. And trains.

The story is serviceable, however what it’s serving is a few superb gameplay. Denshattack is formatted like a Tony Hawk Professional Skater score-chaser, however a bit extra on the… rails. Levels aren’t open-ended playgrounds however start-to-finish guided excursions the place it’s essential to bust out as many tips as doable or carry out sure problem actions. Every stage has a handful of divergent paths that may convey you to totally different routes, and also you’ve even obtained rainbow colored secret rails you’ll be able to unlock in case your tips are potent sufficient. In consequence, every stage is packed stuffed with replayability and actively encourages it by its design. I felt the lure to hop again in and both enhance my time rating, my trick rating, or my progress tackling particular challenges.

What I really like most about these ranges, although, is that they’re crammed with fixed set-piece pleasure. You aren’t simply doing the identical actions with the identical digital camera angle the entire time. Every stage will toss you into wildly totally different situations, like backflipping by a kabuki-show or setting off large chain-reaction explosions. There are even boss fights, and so they’re completely ridiculous. Each makes use of your gameplay instruments in numerous methods, however succeeds in making this trick-focused racing sport right into a hot-blooded motion journey.

I do want the sport tapped right into a bit extra had been unlockables and customisation, although. There’s a very nice bit the place your progress by the story and challenges unlocks items that get slotted right into a zine collection all in regards to the characters and world. Photographs of a few of your significantly sick problem moments even get slapped into the zine. It’s cute, and enjoyable, and candy to see that sort of zine tradition represented in a sport. Customisation, nonetheless, is merely alright. You earn foreign money which you should use to purchase new trains and…properly, that’s sort of it. It’s also possible to unlock decals to placed on these trains, nevertheless it doesn’t really feel like sufficient. I’d’ve both cherished a greater variety of trains to seek out, or some sort of further layer of customising like seen characters or deeper paint-job alterations.

Regardless of some missing within the unlockables division, Denshattack is a blast. I can’t bear in mind the final time I’ve performed one thing so absurd, but nonetheless so polished. It’s a sport stuffed with coronary heart, and I can’t wait to see what this group does subsequent.