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0 Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator is the newest addition to the simulation genre. Developed by Simteract who pride themselves on premium simulation games, and published by Nacon. The game is an introduction to the highs and lows of being a taxi driver in the bustling city of Barcelona.
Launched on the 7th of March 2024, this game is available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Realistic?
This game revolves around, you guessed it, being a Taxi driver. You climb into the driver’s seat of your car and the start of your business. Will you create a Taxi empire? Let me know below how you got on with the game!
Gameplay
As simple as the game may seem, it does have a lot to offer. You begin your journey with a driving test. In no way similar to those that we are used to, instead, it is akin to those that Americans partake in. It is the perfect introduction to understanding the game’s controls and mechanics, as you are expected to drive in the coned areas. Of course, like in real life, I could not parallel park.
You are then thrust into the city of Barcelona, where you need to follow the rules of the road and deal with impatient tourists and ever-changing weather conditions. Ensuring your customers are pleased will earn you the best ratings and generous tips. Which in turn can be used to make improvements to your vehicle, or even buy more to start your business.
City Driving
The map function allows you to find passengers throughout the 286 miles of road that the game offers. Each customer has its challenges, with there being varying levels of difficulty to choose from.
Sometimes it may be Barcelona itself that offers its obstacles. Where routes will change due to accidents, roadworks and parades. Adding to the realistic feeling of the game. You will also need to refuel/charge your vehicle, take care of dashboard warning lights, and keep up with the vehicle services whenever necessary.
However, you also have to ensure that you are managing your business correctly. Make the right decisions to maximise profit, hire employees and increase your fleet of vehicles. You will need to make sure you are doing the role of a taxi driver correctly first before you start thinking about a business. If you do not keep your customers happy, how will you collate enough money to expand?
Creative Freedom
Your creativity is also allowed to be explored. Personalise your vehicles, select the driving style, the car models, wheels and accessories. There is a vast amount to choose from, which can all be upgraded using your profits. Equally, don’t spend too much on these bonuses, because the AI cars and NPCs are 100% out to get you. The game features far too many accidents where the AI cars will randomly stop. They will not move no matter how many times you press the horn.
NPCs will also randomly walk in front of you, even though the crossing light is red. They are unexpected and unpredictable. And can even lose you a job from crashing/walking into you.
Graphics & Audio
One of the things that I have enjoyed is how beautiful Barcelona looks in this game. The textures are bright, and it is genuinely nice to roam around the city. There is even the bonus of landmarks being added within the game, which you can discover.
The car itself is incredibly detailed. With the usage of interior lights, radio, A/C, emergency lights, plus many more. It genuinely feels that you are sitting in a real-life car, where all the controls are usable. The detail of these car designs is refreshing to see.
As you will see in other reviews that I have completed, it is highly unlikely for me to have the audio on when playing games. However, I do of course turn them on sporadically so I can make a judgement. There is nothing particularly good or bad with the audio. They do the simple things right, such as breaking noises and the horn. However, these are things that should be right.
Longevity
The first question I have when it comes to Taxi Life: A Driving Simulator is does the game have enough moving parts to make it a worthwhile simulator game. The addition of the business side of a Taxi Driver does add to the longevity of the game, however, is it enough? In my opinion, I am not sure how long I will continue to play the game. There are only so many times that you can drive around with one purpose dropping and picking up passengers. However, you cannot fault the developers for trying to make additions to the game that add to the longevity. This can especially be seen in the challenges such as driving your car as fast as possible without being issued a speeding fine.
On the other side of things, there are content makers out there that thrive on driving simulator games such as this, and that is the only content that they make. I think there is a select audience out there, however, I do not think the majority of people will find that this game is something that they always go back to.
Final Thoughts
Although there are many positives to the game, I do believe that some of the negatives outweigh these. It cannot be said that the developers don’t care. Within the first couple of days since the release, the developers have already made updates which has taken on board some of the issues highlighted.
The main issue I have with the game is the longevity, and how much this game can offer. And unfortunately, I do not see this as a game I would often go back to. And this is echoed by many of the players thus far. Lastly, is this a game I would pay £35 for? This is the price if you wish to buy it via the PS Store and Microsoft Store, and I truly do not believe that it is worth this price.
Therefore, it is with this all in mind, that I will be awarding Taxi Life: A Driving Simulator the silver Thumb Culture award.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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