CyberTaxi: Lunatic Nights has arrived in Early Access, and it's clear from the start that it's a title that's still in the design phase. The idea of Hed Media Games to combine chaotic driving, action battles and absurd humor is very attractive and offers a lot of potential, but the current version shows how early the project is still in development.
At the very beginning, before we get into the story of Prison City, the game offers a choice between three classes that determine the style of play and the skills you will acquire during the ride. It's an interesting attempt to blend traditional RPG elements into action-packed taxi chaos.
Egocentric Renegade
A former soldier with a difficult past, focused on weapons and combat experience. His main attribute is Combat Expert. As a special benefit, he gets a katana that has a small chance of instantly eliminating the enemy. Further skills provide increased ammo capacity, additional rewards for destroying enemy vehicles, and easier weapon unlocks. Renegade is ideal for players who like a direct approach and enjoy when everything around them explodes.
Dystopian Mechanic
An engineer who has technology and car repairs in his blood. His main attribute is Exploring Engineer. It starts with a wrench that can repair the taxi up to 40% after each hit. As you progress, you unlock skills that allow for better vehicle customization, easier detection of hidden items, longer duration of energy drinks, and workshop bonuses. This class is best suited for players who like to explore and strategically care about the long term
vehicle survival.
Cynical Gambler
Trickster and charmer, used to living on risk and uncertainty. His main attribute is Try One's Luck. His initial benefit is a rocket launcher received "in a family inheritance". Other skills bring an element of randomness, such as the ability to get a random item after each run, extra money for certain actions, or even hacking ATMs for quick cash. This class is an obvious choice for those who like chaos and unpredictability, where the rewards can
be large, but also completely useless.
The story takes place in a dystopian and dark Prison City. The main character is a taxi driver who has a very personal motive because his sister was unjustly accused and imprisoned in a city complex, and the goal is to uncover the clues and rescue her. In order for the rescue mission to be possible, he must get to know Prison City from the inside, which means he accepts the various rides and missions they bring in order to uncover the secrets bit by bit. So we don't just have transport from point A to point B
one minute we're fighting a gang in a park to protect a client, and the next we're traveling through the sewers to find the client's keys, getting attacked by zombies along the way. In addition to all this, we also have various rescue missions, delivery of fragile items and various researches.
However, the biggest challenge at this point in the game is performance. The graphic style is not overly demanding, but the optimization gives the impression that the game is unfinished. The framerate often varies, loading can take a long time, and certain elements of the environment appear only at the last moment. All this makes the gameplay difficult, but at the same time reminds that this edition is above all an opportunity for testing and refinement.
Controls are another segment that needs attention. The driving doesn't feel natural enough so far, so the taxi sometimes looks clumsy and it's hard to direct it precisely. Drifts don't give a real sense of control, and shooting from a vehicle needs some extra polish to make it feel comfortable and intuitive. When the player gets out of the car the problems become more pronounced due to stiff animations and hitboxes that don't always react as they should.
The progression system is just a basic framework so far. The concept of combining driving and RPG elements is appealing, but the rewards and upgrades don't feel like they significantly change the game experience. The weapons are not balanced yet, so the combat does not provide the dynamics it should. All together, it gives the impression of an initial phase that will require more layers and deeper elaboration in the future.
Humor is intended as a trademark of the game and in certain moments it manages to make you laugh. Ideas like cigarettes as a medicine puter or energy drinks as a source of strength are cute, but quickly become repetitive. More variety is needed in order to maintain the charm until the end and so that the game does not lose its freshness.
Bugs are unfortunately present in almost every gaming session. Passengers can suddenly teleport, enemies get stuck in walls, and the vehicle reacts in completely unexpected ways. Such moments can be fun the first time, but when repeated they often become an obstacle that reminds developers that there is still a lot of work ahead of them.
CyberTaxi: Lunatic Nights should be viewed primarily as a work in progress. The potential is visible and it's clear that the concept has the foundations for something special, but the current state is not yet ready to deliver an experience that will appeal to a wider audience. For players who like to follow the development and be part of the process, this can be an interesting insight, but for most it is still better to wait for the next stages of development.
Conclusion:
As it is an Early Access version, it is expected that in the coming months, repairs, optimization and content expansion will follow. We will return to the game after a few updates and review the progress that will hopefully bring CyberTaxi closer to the vision that the authors announced.
A copy of the game version for review purposes was provided by the development studio Hed Media Games
