YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH, it's finally here. SEGA has teased a new Crazy Taxi game for a while now, but today marks the day that it has been officially announced, alongside a full-blown announcement trailer and a hint at the release date, too.
I am so incredibly excited about this. Crazy Taxi on the original Dreamcast is one of my most fond gaming memories. The chase. The thrill. The taxis. The characters. I remember it all, and I can't wait to play it again on modern game consoles with my young kids.
"Encounter unique characters, tackle a variety of high-octane missions, navigate cities featuring unique terrain and driving challenges, and experience nonstop driving action in this all-new adventure across the globe", states SEGA's YouTube description.
The trailer starts with the iconic Crazy Taxi soundtrack by The Offspring, more specifically the song "All I Want", which is undoubtedly nostalgic for many retro SEGA gamers. The trailer shows off the enhanced graphics, the fast-paced driving, and characters such as the original's Axel with his green hair and iconic Hawaiian t-shirt.
If you scan the trailer closer too it likes like you can potentially drift the taxi and boost the taxi too, to increase speed and efficiency around the likely, larger and challenge-filled San Fransico map. There's even a scene of someone hooking a shark from the back of your taxi, making me believe the game will be jam-packed with mini challenges and easter eggs.
It's likely these challenges will sync with different customers, as there's also a customer holding lots of pizza boxes, indicating a challenge to deliver as many as possible in a certain ammount of time, instead of the standard, pick up and drop off time challenge that we are all used to in the original.
Later in the trailer, a character sends you a message and a notification on Axel's smartphone, indicating that there is a flight he must catch, alongside the note "hope your passport is up to date", making me believe that there will be new locations to explore outside of the USA which will make it the first time time the franchise has done that, as Crazy Taxi 2 was based in New York. It would also pair well with the game's new title, Crazy Taxi: World Tour, and it mentions on SEGA's website that you can explore "five different cities". I am hoping London and Tokyo are featured!
"In this new high-octane adventure, follow Axel as he chases down the mysterious masked villains who stole his beloved taxi. Tackle extreme missions around the world, all while earning some CRAZY money" mentions SEGA. This money will likely be able to be used on customisations and upgrades to your vehicle.
That said, I am excited to see more announcements from SEGA about this new Crazy Taxi title. It's been a long time coming, but so far, it looks intense! SEGA has stated that Crazy Taxi: World Tour will be "hitting the streets in 2027". So far, it looks like it will be available on PS5, XBOX Series X/S and Steam and offer multiplayer modes to race friends and family from around the world.
