Taxi Chaos
Taxi Chaos is a 2021 racing video game developed by Team6 Game Studios and released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Playing as a taxi driver, gameplay involves delivering customers to their destinations within a time limit. The game was viewed by critics as a spiritual successor to Crazy Taxi (1999). It received mixed reviews.
| Taxi Chaos | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Team6 Game Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Orange One (Switch) Lion Castle (other versions) |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows |
| Release | February 23, 2021 October 19, 2021 (Windows) |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay edit
Taxi Chaos is set in the fictional New Yellow City, based on New York City. The game features two taxi drivers – Vinny and Cleo – and several unlockable taxicabs. The player's objective is to pick up customers and deliver them to their destinations as quickly as possible.[1][2] Customers rate the player's performance using a five-star scale.[3] The player's vehicle can reach rooftops, and can jump from one building to another using ramps.[4]
The game has three modes: Arcade, Pro, and Freeroam. Arcade is the standard game mode, in which the player has a time limit for delivering as many customers as possible. This mode includes an arrow which provides guidance to the player, pointing toward each customer's destination. Pro mode removes the arrow, requiring the player to be familiar with the large game map. Freeroam lacks a time limit and allows the player to explore the city.[1][5] It also features some customers who request that the player locate their scattered items, prompting exploration.[4][5]
Development and release edit
Taxi Chaos was developed by the Dutch company Team6 Game Studios.[6][7] It was released on February 23, 2021, for PlayStation 4 (PS4), Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.[7][8] The Switch version was published by Orange One,[9][10] while the other versions were published by Lion Castle.[11][12] Sega had previously published the similar game Crazy Taxi in 1999. Team6 initially stated that Sega would be involved in the distribution of Taxi Chaos throughout Asia, although Sega later denied this.[7][13]
Reception edit
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 44/100 (PS4)[14] 52/100 (Switch)[15] 59/100 (Xbox One)[16] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 5/10 (Xbox One)[5] |
| Eurogamer | 6/10 (Xbox One)[17] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 3.5/5 (Xbox One)[4] |
| HobbyConsolas | 60/100 (Switch)[18] |
| Nintendo Life | 6/10 (Switch)[1] |
| Nintendo World Report | 5.5/10 (Switch)[19] |
| Push Square | 4/10 (PS4)[20] |
| Shacknews | 3/10 (PS4)[2] |
| NME | [3] |
According to Metacritic, the PS4 version of Taxi Chaos received "generally unfavorable reviews",[14] while the other versions received "mixed or average reviews".[15][16] Metacritic listed the game as the fourth-worst game of 2021.[21]
Critics compared the game to Crazy Taxi, viewing it as a spiritual successor or clone.[5][4][1][22] Jeremy Peeples of Hardcore Gaming called it a "flawed" but "admirable" effort,[4] while CJ Andriessen of Destructoid wrote "like a lot of 'spiritual successors,' it comes nowhere near measuring up to its predecessor".[5] Others considered it a "shameless" rip-off.[20][3]
Reviewers found the customers' dialogue to be repetitive,[5][4][19][2][22] and considered the soundtrack underwhelming.[1][4][2][3][22] Critics also complained of glitches, such as vehicles getting stuck or passing through objects,[4][1][20] although Peeples wrote that the glitches were "so goofy, it almost works in the game's favor".[4]
Some critics found the game's landscape to be empty and lifeless, although Team6 planned to address this in a future patch which would increase the number of vehicles and pedestrians.[5][1][2] Chris Jarrard of Shacknews wrote that the city is "oddly silent much of the time, lacking any ambiance players may expect of a city modeled after The Big Apple. No one yells at you when you smash into their car. Chaos is likely the last word I'd use to describe the proceedings".[2]
Ollie Reynolds of Nintendo Life criticized the "flawed gameplay" and "lack of longevity".[1] Andriessen called it "a pretty fun game to play…for about five minutes. That's about as long as it took me to realize there really isn't much game here".[5] Peeples praised the open world environment and the Free roam mode.[4]
Zack Zwiezen of Kotaku praised the graphics,[22] although other reviewers were not satisfied. Jarrard wrote, "Everything other than the cabs themselves is as bland as can be. Some objects are cartoonishly bright and colorful, while others portray a more realistic tone, leading to a visual mess".[2] Alan Wen of NME wrote that the game "lacks polish, both in its resolution and framerate, even on the PS4 version".[3]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h Reynolds, Ollie (23 February 2021). "Taxi Chaos Review (Switch)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Jarrard, Chris (1 March 2021). "Taxi Chaos review: Extremely light on the chaos". Shacknews. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Wen, Alan (23 February 2021). "'Taxi Chaos' review: you might not want to waste your fare on this cheap imitation". NME. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Peeples, Jeremy (23 February 2021). "Review: Taxi Chaos". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Andriessen, CJ (7 March 2021). "Review: Taxi Chaos". Destructoid. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ Tailby, Stephen (18 December 2020). "Taxi Chaos Looks Like the Crazy Taxi Revival Sega Won't Make". Push Square. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ a b c Calvin, Alex (18 December 2020). "Crazy Taxi spiritual successor Taxi Chaos launching in February". VG247. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ Gray, Kate (12 February 2021). "Beep Beep! Taxi Chaos Takes Its Directions From Crazy Taxi, Coming To Switch On February 23rd". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ "Taxi Chaos". Nintendo of America. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ "Taxi Chaos". Nintendo of Europe. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ "Taxi Chaos". PlayStation Store. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ "Taxi Chaos". Microsoft. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ McFerran, Damien (23 February 2021). "Sega Denies It Has Anything To Do With Crazy Taxi Clone Taxi Chaos". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ a b "Taxi Chaos (PS4)". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ a b "Taxi Chaos (Switch)". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ a b "Taxi Chaos (Xbox One)". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ Paravani, Virginia (7 April 2021). "Taxi Chaos - recensione". Eurogamer.it (in Italian). Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ Quesada, Daniel (23 February 2021). "Análisis de Taxi Chaos, el intento de resucitar Crazy Taxi". HobbyConsolas (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ a b Theriault, Donald (3 March 2021). "Taxi Chaos (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ a b c McCormick, John Cal (1 March 2021). "Mini Review: Taxi Chaos (PS4) - Crazy Taxi Clone Is a Write-Off". Push Square. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ . Metacritic. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ a b c d Zwiezen, Zack (1 March 2021). "Sorry Crazy Taxi Fans, Taxi Chaos Ain't It". Kotaku. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
External links edit
- Official website
- Taxi Chaos at MobyGames