If you grew up in the arcade era, chances are you have spent more money than you care to admit on Crazy Taxi. Between the frantic driving, ticking countdown timer, and passengers who apparently expected Formula 1-level transportation services, the game had a way of turning a handful of tokens into an entire afternoon.
Now, after more than two decades, Sega is finally reviving the franchise with Crazy Taxi: World Tour. You heard that right: your chance of becoming the taxi driver you never dare to be in real life is returning to consoles and PC! To say it is nostalgic is an understatement. It’s euphoric!
Revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase, the new title brings back the series’ trademark blend of chaotic driving, impossible shortcuts, and complete disregard for what traffic laws may have to say about any of it.
The new game follows longtime series driver Axel and sends him on a globe-trotting adventure that extends far beyond the streets of the original game’s San Francisco-inspired setting. Sega is promising a World Tour Campaign, classic Arcade Mode, and online multiplayer, giving players multiple ways to earn outrageous fares while terrifying virtual pedestrians.
Judging by the trailer, Crazy Taxi has not suddenly discovered restraint. Players will still launch taxis over traffic, barrel through city streets at questionable speeds, and perform the sort of driving maneuvers that would result in an immediate license suspension anywhere on Earth. There are also hints of stranger side activities, including fishing with a car because apparently that is a sentence that now exists.
For longtime fans, the biggest draw may simply be seeing Crazy Taxi back on the road. Axel returns, the driving remains gloriously irresponsible, and the trailer carries just enough old-school Crazy Taxi energy to transport arcade veterans right back to the days of feeding tokens into the cabinet.
Crazy Taxi: World Tour is scheduled to arrive in 2027 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. After more than two decades without a proper new installment, fans can finally stop asking where Crazy Taxi went.
Now they can start asking how much property damage one taxi can legally cause in a single fare. Keep going for the announcement trailer to get a taste of what’s to come.
Images: Sega.