Crazy Taxi: World Tour — Everything We Know

I gotta tell you, my driving skills haven’t always been good. Time and time again, I crashed into obstacles and other cars. And no, these weren’t demolition derby racing games. So, the penalties kept coming. My cars would sustain so much damage, I’d be dragging their broken parts across the finish line. 

I have gotten better over the years, but Crazy Taxi was one of those racing games that didn’t care for my reckless driving. In fact, it automatically launches pedestrians out of the way, allowing me to deliver my customers to their destination without any casualties. And the best part? My car would still be freshly new, ready to pick up the next customer and take them on another bumpy ride. 

It’s been a minute since we got a new Crazy Taxi mainline game. I almost gave up hope of ever getting a new game until SEGA announced Crazy Taxi: World Tour, this time, with online and local multiplayer. 

What is Crazy Taxi: World Tour?

Crazy Taxi: World Tour is an upcoming racing game, featuring action and arcade gameplay. You crank up the speed of your taxi, picking up and dropping off passengers within a modern city. Your customers need to arrive at their destination on time to earn your keep. But you can pick up extra jobs, too, when you have the time to spare.

The first game was released in 1999 and was among the first racing games to popularize open-world city driving. The high-speed driving of your taxi is the signature gameplay of the series, alongside the chaotic crashing into sidewalks and other cars. You’re also challenged to pull off death-defying stunts, with customers rating you higher when you give them the best ride of their lives.

There have been seven Crazy Taxi games, including spin-offs. However, the last mainline game, Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller, was released in 2002.  So, the announcement of the upcoming Crazy Taxi: World Tour is pretty huge, reviving a series from its long-overdue hiatus. You’ll still have storied missions like before, following Axel’s chase after his stolen taxi. 

He gets warped into tracking down a mysterious organization, racing through iconic spots around town, and completing challenging missions that lead to saving the world. 

Over a decade later, Crazy Taxi: World Tour feels more like a series reboot. Good news, though, The Offspring return with their original “All I Want” banger soundtrack. The iconic “Ya ya ya ya!” is already ringing in my head, especially after its feature in the trailer. You’ll meet returning characters, too, including customers with familiar faces. But the story will be entirely new.

Story

Axel is the man in charge, and the new story goes that he’s lost his taxi to some masked villains. So he winds up tracking it down and getting caught up in chasing a mysterious organization. You won’t just be “crazy driving” in one city, but five 

Gameplay

Crazy Taxi: World Tour’s gameplay will remain much like previous games, at least in structure. You can expect crazy driving and crazy stunts while completing extreme, story-driven missions. The races are timed, with the stunts and drifts making it more challenging to deliver customers to their destination on time. However, you can look forward to online multiplayer for the first time, featuring PvP modes with cross-platform compatibility. 

What’s the point of all of this, you ask? Besides causing chaos while driving past Pizza Hut (those real-world shops better come back). Well, you do get paid for your troubles in Crazy Money currency. 

So, get ready to “catch insane air,” which is essentially eyeing those ramps and hills to jump over and earn even more Crazy Money. Here’s where the extreme mid-air stunts really shine, with Crazy Taxi’s signature high-flying arcade physics making a comeback.

Development

SEGA is the developer and publisher of Crazy Taxi: World Tour, and they aren’t just reviving the series, but also taking it to the next level. They don’t only feature one city but five different ones in which to catch insane air and pull off crazy stunts. They stay true to previous games’ best parts, like retaining The Offspring and the original cast. However, The Offspring will also add new pop-punk songs to the new game.

Moreover, the gameplay has some new tweaks. You’ll be flying higher than ever before, thanks to a new boost ability. You’ll unlock lots of vehicles and freely customize them. In the Arcade Mode, fans will find comfort in playing a similar gameplay style to previous games. But in the Multiplayer mode, you’ll compete against friends and online strangers. Crazy Taxi: World Tour is going global, with crossplay. Do check out the screenshots of Crazy Taxi: World Tour in action on the SEGA website.

Trailer

SEGA is walking the talk with the launch of the Crazy Taxi: World Tour announcement trailer. Such dazzling graphics that look realistic but also cheerful and vibrant. You can feel the adrenaline rush as Axel speedruns through the city streets. He sends cabbages, nay soda cans, flying, as he breezes past the roadside stand. The boost mode looks slick, with your taxi lighting up, gaining speed, hitting those ramps, and launching into the air. 

High-octane driving looks well-fulfilled in the trailer, pumping to the beat of “Ya ya ya ya!” Here’s to hoping the map reflects San Francisco: Pizza Hut, KFC, Tower Records, and all. Everything special about the series seems to have been retained. So, I’m confident SEGA will be sticking to the chaotic and frantic vibe that the first three games set.

Release Date, Platforms, & Editions

It won’t be too long before Crazy Taxi: World Tour hits your platform of choice. Officially confirmed to launch in 2027, you’ll want to prep your PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC platforms for preorders. The Steam page is already out, where you can add the game to your wishlist. However, any information on editions or preorders remains unknown until SEGA confirms it on their social media handle.