Anyone who grew up being an arcade rat would most likely come across a Sega’s Crazy Taxi cabinet, at least once in their life. Originally released in 1999, Crazy Taxi eventually made it to everyone’s home on the Sega Dreamcast in 2000. The goal of this game was simple, the taxi driver drove around picking up patrons and delivering them to their destination. The better you drive, the more money you make. Now, Sega is making a remake of this classic game using an Unreal Engine for its development.
The Crazy Taxi Remake was announced back in December during the Game Awards. Sega made a slew of announcements about what classic franchises are getting rebooted. Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, and Crazy Taxi among several others. Sega isn’t planning on rehashing what they created back in 1999. Instead, they’re being a tad more ambitious with this new outing.
Back to the Grind
The Crazy Taxi Remake will shoot to be a AAA title. The details are slim, but it is known that the game will be within an open world where players can freely pick up any patron they want and race the clock. There will be different vehicles to try out that will all have varying handling and stats. This title will also borrow a few features from the GTA franchise. Most notably, the police will be a factor and players will need to escape them during a pursuit. The world will be a giant sandbox where players can choose any route they want.
One of the things that makes this Sega classic so memorable is the soundtrack. Bad Religion and Offspring provided the music back when it made its debut in arcades. Of course, this was back in the 90s and the world has moved on since then. So, it is unknown if these bands will return for the remake, or if there will be new talent involved with providing the music. Therefore, it is currently unknown what kind of soundtrack the Crazy Taxi Remake will have especially since it will be leaning toward a more modern player base.
Spin That Wheel
Now, one of the most surprising new features that the Crazy Taxi Remake will have will be online multiplayer. It is aiming to be a ‘Massively Multiplayer Driving Game.’ Hence, there will be different modes in which players can compete with one another. Chances are that players will be able to play as the police while trying to catch other taxi drivers running amok all over the map. Most likely, it will be structured to where the map is used as a giant HUB. All while offering different events and zones that players can access to start new game types. A massively multiplayer driving game is a righteous goal for this franchise.
The map will be based on cities peppered along the west coast of the United States. So, this game will still have that upbeat 90’s feel that everyone is known to love. Sega wants this game to feel like players are at an “amusement park.” They will have complete freedom to explore the map and partake in any activities they wish. This series isn’t inept with multiplayer, however. This feature was dabbled in 2007 with Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars for the PSP.
Crazy Taxi Remake Release
This game is currently in early development and there is no scheduled date as of now. Rumors suggest that it is aiming for a 2027 release date. At the earliest, around the fourth quarter of 2025 or the first quarter of 2026 is a possibility. Sega hasn’t announced which consoles this will be available on, yet. Chances are that it will be a cross-platform title for current-gen consoles and maybe even for the next Nintendo Switch. If nothing else, fans of Crazy Taxi can enjoy the original arcade and Dreamcast versions on Steam during the wait.
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