Analysis of Taxi Life on Xbox Series

I must warn that, to contextualize this analysis of Life in a taxiI lived more than 25 years in Barcelona and even though I no longer live there, I go to work in Barcelona every day. Additionally, due to work issues, I repeatedly have to take a taxi to get around. So, who better to analyze this game? Well, join me in this analysis to see how real and entertaining the experience the study offers us is. Simteract and this, thanks to NaconIt is available In consoles Yes PC the past March 7o.

As you can deduce just from the title of the game, we are faced with a simulator in which we will play a taxi driver in the city of Barcelona and, therefore, our mission will be to pick up the passengers and take them to the indicated route. But there is something more than this simple playable mechanic since you will have to pay attention to other aspects. From refueling and washing/repairing our vehicle to progressing enough to run a business and have a full fleet of vehicles.

Before going out on the street, at the driving school

But as soon as the game starts, and as is generally logical, we will have to go to driving school. This brief tutorial will teach us the most fundamental aspects of the car, from starting to using the turn signals. We will also have to learn how to park and basic maneuvers.

Once we learn the basics, we will have no choice but to take to the streets and try to make money. As soon as we open the map at the start of the game we will see pedestrian figures that we can collect and we will have to go there so that a brief cutscene is performed in which the passenger enters the car. We will have 3 types of “races” depending on the level or distance

(easy, normal and hard). The logic is to start with the easiest, where it will be short and simple journeys. When we drop our passenger off at their destination, we receive payment and, if we have been good and friendly drivers, they may even leave us a tip.

So that our passenger does not get angry and is as comfortable as possible, we must drive correctly. Each accepted trip will make us have a bar under the mini-map which, over time, will decrease. If we take a long time or are bad drivers, this bar will go down and if it runs out before we get to our destination, we will lose the passenger and the money that should have been given to us for the job.

You must respect the highway code

Not only to please the public we must be good drivers, but also because, as in real life, You must respect road signs and other signs.. And if you press too hard on the accelerator, they may be fined a few dollars for speeding.

In this aspect, the simulation is very neat. All rules and traffic lights will have consequences, although I think the penalty is weak and a stricter penalty would have contributed to greater realism. I found myself on occasion doing several “pirulas” and maneuvers which, if it were in real life, doing 2 or 3 would take away your license…
As you progress, you can buy new vehicles and even new pilots at your disposal to expand your “empire”. We are obviously not talking about the depth of a Football Manager, but this little touch of management is appreciated and that not everything is driving.

In short, and to summarize the gameplay of Life in a taxiwe are faced with a game whose proposal requires calm and knowing that we cannot act like a madman. You must be the best driver possible

and scrupulously respect the rules. We are therefore faced with a very slow pace which will not suit all stomachs. Used to driving games where the priority is to arrive first or beat the time, we are polar opposites here. Leave the hustle and bustle outside and try to be the most obedient and kind driver.

Taxi Life analysis: the car also stalls…

If we talked about a compliant playable base, now It’s time to talk about the weaker parts.
On the one hand, AI urgently needs multiple fixes because, although some pedestrians behave like other vehicles, this is sometimes very chaotic and wrong. More than once we have been stopped at a red light and attacked from behind for no apparent reason. Or the car in front of you suddenly stops for no reason.

Furthermore Pedestrian behavior also leaves something to be desiredwith rather inconsistent attitudes.

Another aspect to improve is the technical aspect.. We played the title on Xbox Series the frame rate has seen very significant drops. In addition to having to burst and the horizon being defined by surprise, on occasions where there were a lot of vehicles or buildings with a lot of detail, the game slowed down quite a bit, making the experience quite uncomfortable.

Technically, this leaves a lot to be desired and makes many situations quite unbearable that merit much more caution. If the appeal of a game is in the driving and the scenarios you go through, these should be an organic part of the whole and not be a lacking aspect. Performance must be one of these most careful aspects because if the game proposal is based on driving from point A to point B, This procedure should be pleasant and well executed. And in Taxi Life, that’s not the case..

Barcelona in pieces?

As for the recreation of the city of Barcelona, ​​one of lime and one of sand. Although what you see is faithfully recreated and the streets and different buildings are perfectly recreated and recognizable (on the map you will have the opportunity to visit them as “collectibles”), Note that the game area does not cover the entire city. The game takes place only in a part of Barcelona which, although the most touristy and closest to the sea, lacks other emblematic areas, such as the areas adjacent to the Camp Nou or the Sagrada Familia.

We don’t even know if later these “pieces” of the city will be sold to us as DLC, but anyone looking for a complete recreation of the city is warned that this is not it and that areas of it will also be missing emblematic.

Analysis of the lifespan of taxis: conclusions

Eventually, Life in a taxi are an experience that keeps its promises: be a taxi driver in the city of Barcelona. With a very slow pace, this simulator is aimed at a niche audience who must accept in advance that they will leave aside freneticism and action in favor of a real traffic simulation. Unfortunately, two stones in the shoe hinder the game to be the definitive simulator. On the one hand AI behavior (both in vehicles and in pedestrians) and, on the other hand, technical performance, deficient in terms of frame rate and presence of popping. If you accept its flaws and are looking for a relaxed experience, you will be able to enjoy Taxi Life, knowing that the playable proposition of the title is what it is.