|
|
The Plot:
The "Crazy Taxi" series has become wildly popular over the past few years, even resulting in other games that have taken elements and presented them in their own way ("Simpsons Road Rage"). However, one wonders when the familiar is going to start to get stale; "Crazy Taxi 3" offers two of the areas from the first two games (which are tweaked a little for this new release) plus an additional new level. What it doesn't bring to the table is much freshness in the way of gameplay.
The game's plot is essentially the same as the rest of the series: players take on the role of one of several wacky drivers and then zip and crash throughout three different stages to try and deliver passengers - sometimes you have to try and deliver a group of passengers at once, all going to different areas. The new area for this release, "Glitter Oasis" (read: Las Vegas) is moderately enjoyable, but not entirely without fault - the city itself is actually fairly small - keep going and you'll find yourself in some very sparse mountain/desert areas. The popular minigames also make a return here.
For those who are fans of the series, "Crazy Taxi 3" is worth looking into. It's not really anything creative or very new, (maybe "Crazy Bike Messenger" could be next, that seems like it could be mildly exciting and maybe incorporate some stunts somehow) but it does offer more to do than the prior releases. If you're not a fan or aren't familiar with the series, you may want to rent this one first.
Rating: 7.8/10
The DVD
Graphics: The game's visuals on the XBOX are not terribly impressive and certainly do not push the capabilities of the system. However, they're not terrible, either. There isn't much detail or texture to the city ot the cars themselves, but the game remains fairly colorful and lighting in the Vegas section is very pleasing. Unfortunately, there are some busy instances in the new Vegas section that suffer from noticable slowdown.
Rating: 8/10
Sound: The sound is one of the least interesting elements of the game. The soundtrack - composed almost entirely of Offspring and Bad Religion songs, gets awfully repetitive. Don't get me wrong - I like the Offspring and I really think Bad Religion is terrific, but to hear te same handful of songs over and over (and over) again starts to become rather tiring. The sound effects fare okay: the crashing and other little sound effects are crisp and clear, if lacking in personality. The voice acting isn't particularly good and that aspect does make the overall opinion of the sound suffer considerably. The phrases from the passengers and drivers aren't terribly funny and after a while, their dialogue starts to become repetitive. The passengers even start to become bad backseat drivers, occasionally yelling to turn left or right when their destination is in a different direction.
Rating: 7/10
Gameplay: Driving the taxi was quite easy, although switching the car from "reverse" to "drive" could have been smoother. Some of the moves take a little time to learn, but the game's controls are fine overall. As for replay value, it's a little questionable as to how much depth this game has. Personally, I can see this as one of those games I'll play quite a bit for a few days, put down, then play for a few days a couple weeks later.
Rating: 8/10
Rating Issues: The game is rated "T" (Teen). The game includes some mild language and action, but little else objectionable.
Final Thoughts: "Crazy Taxi 3" continues the wacky fun, but it's a little dissapointing that the third time isn't entirely the charm: I felt as if more could have been changed for this release on the XBOX. Still, fans of the game may want to check this one out. Others who are interested may want to take this one for a test drive first.
|
