Crazy Taxi for PS2 Review

"Brilliant"

Sega is one of my favorite companies. They made the Sonic series and so many other of my favorite games. This one, Crazy Taxi, is one of my favorites. It's better (and worse) on other systems, my favorite version being the Dreamcast one, but the one on the PS2 is still really great and worth your time if you own a PS2.

In this game, you choose between 4 taxi drivers, and your goal is to drive as many people to their destinations as you can. Every time you do, you get a time bonus. Sounds boring? Well, let's say you go really fast, get extra money for impressing the passenger and getting there quicker, are timed to get them there (usually in 40 seconds), and you crash a ton. Each character is different: Gus is cool, B.D.Joe is crazy, Axel is lively, yet I've never played Gena. I'm guessing she's like Rochelle from L4D2, and that's why I avoid playing her.

The music in this game is great. It's upbeat, and fits the theme of this game well. For those that care, graphics and sound on the PS2 are great. The voice acting is good, the sound is clear and the graphics are cartoony, awesome, and suit the game. The things the characters say are also sometimes funny, and the passengers yell and throw dirt, kick dirt or whatever at the drivers if they run out of time. Which happens a lot... you'll get a passenger you have to drive a long distance, arrive 1 second late, and get barely any money because it said you were slow. This, like the guy who sold me the game mentioned, drives you insane.

Gameplay.

The map is big, and full of traffic and obstacles to make it a more fun experience. Not to say there isn't parts where there's plenty of room, because there is, and the game balances open space and busy, traffic-packed streets very well. My only issue is that a map as big as this leaves room for some interesting stuff, such as loop de loops and other stuff. But here, there's only really ramps and hills you can fly off. Good, but there could be a ton more.

A little feature I like about the game is that each passenger has a money sign over their head, and depending on how much they're gonna pay you and how far they're going, it can be as good as a green sign to as poor-paying as a red one. It let's you know who to pick up, depending on how much time you have left. Also, this is necessary, but the further you go the more time you have to get the passenger there. Thank God they added that.

If Crazy Taxi taught me anything, it's that if a taxi flips over a truck then passengers love it, and taxis are invincible. This game is fun and easy to find at a low price. Pick it up if you want a fun, non-generic classic PS2 game. But if you can choose between this and the Dreamcast version, get the Dreamcast version.