TAXI CHAOS 2 – Taxi madness where the laws of physics and logic do not exist
There aren't many video games that have tried to replicate the crazy popularity of the Crazy Taxi franchise, where players earn money by transporting passengers with crazy antics and impossible maneuvers, disregarding traffic laws and physics, all while The Offspring and Bad Religion blast in the background as the official soundtrack. Taxi Chaos is one of the video games that attempted to replicate this. However, despite some positive aspects, it remains just an attempt. Taxi Chaos 2 is the sequel to the eponymous video game Taxi Chaos, released in 2021. The general consensus among reviewers was that this video game is an obvious attempt to recreate the 'Crazy Taxi' video game, but a failed one. Critics praised the fast gameplay and fun short clips, but agreed that the game lacks depth, better graphics, and a better soundtrack. Has anything changed? Find out below.
Developer: Focuspoint Studios
Publisher: Current Games
Platforms: PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
Price: 24.99 euros
We played the PlayStation 5 version, provided to us by the publisher Current Games
PLOT
We play as an old taxi driver, hired to fight against robotic AI taxis of the future that have taken over the fictional city of San Valeda. In the original 'Taxi Chaos' video game, the story was set in New Yellow City, inspired by New York. San Valeda, in this sequel, represents a significant change and moves us to a more open world with more obstacles and featuring 'taxibots' – AI robots that have taken over the taxi business in the city. We are, as in the original, Vinny or Chleo, trying to earn tips while constantly threatened by the taxibots.
GAMEPLAY
The game consists of two modes – Story mode and Arcade mode. Arcade mode is where we line up taxi rides, but there is a global scoreboard – we compete with people from all over the world. We progress through levels, each setting increasingly difficult tasks. Story mode, on the other hand, is the main mode of the game, where we follow the story of Vinny and Chleo in their fight against the robotic AI taxis.
Right from the start, everything reminds us of Crazy Taxi. However, we soon realize that this is only visual. Although the constant background melody is somewhat entertaining at first, it quickly becomes clear that the video game lacks a specific soundtrack. The environment is minimalist, with fairly good graphics for the cars and traffic, but the backgrounds are poorly made, almost carelessly. The AI NPCs are almost nonexistent. The voices of all female and male passengers are the same, as is the voice of the auto-navigation, which is identical to that of the female passengers. Worst of all, they all have the same catchphrases that they constantly repeat. The opponents (taxibots) behave unpredictably and strangely – they chase you when you do nothing, but when you crash into them, they don't chase you.
Vehicle and character customization is very limited. There is no map or navigation in the game. There are only a few vehicles, and you can only change the color and some minor details. We can only change the driver's hat. There is some sort of progression and upgrades, but even without that, any vehicle we take – we are an indestructible tank that crushes everything in its path. There is also a pointless jumping feature with the taxi, which should allow for easier driving through the city, but that jumping only brings us glitches and even bigger problems.
A navigation system is integrated into the game (arrows on the road like in F1 games), but that navigation often doesn’t work. Without it, it’s not impossible to deliver passengers, but it’s much easier and frustrating that it keeps appearing and disappearing. There is no option to turn the navigation on or off. The controls are simple, so one could even say that the game is child-friendly. This is also supported by the graphics that look like they are from Pixar animated films.
CONCLUSION
If we play this video game briefly, it is a fun distraction. Driving through a well-animated and very brightly lit city can be relaxing and carefree. However, playing the campaign (Story mode) is too much to handle. Completing all tasks and going through all stages will take too much time, and very few will push through to the end. Taxi Chaos 2 comes off as an obvious and pale imitation of the Crazy Taxi video game. Although compared to the original, a Story mode and some other minor additions have been added, it still remains a game too similar to Taxi Chaos from 2021 with too few innovations. Therefore, the conclusion is that Taxi Chaos 2 is a game that does not provide enough value for the money it is sold for.
POSITIVES: animated graphics; chaotic taxi driving; short-term fun; easy controls
NEGATIVES: lack of soundtrack; empty backgrounds; poor AI of traffic participants; long campaign with repetitive tasks; unoriginality; too high price
RATING: 2.5/5
