Anyone who’s played Flight Control will get a strong sense of déjà vu when they see TaxiDrive in action. In fact, I assumed it must be the sequel to the hit air traffic control game. When I realised it wasn’t, the next thing that crossed my mind was ‘Rip off!’
However, after installing and playing it for a while, it’s clear that although the developers were undoubtedly ‘inspired’ by Flight Control and it contains a hefty dollop of its DNA, TaxiDrive’s different enough to warrant a place in the App Store. So, how does it ‘fare’?
With TaxiDrive, it’s your job to direct a yellow cab around the streets of New York, picking up passengers and safely dropping them off at their destination in return for cash. Of course, things are not that straightforward and you share the mean streets with other traffic which you must avoid crashing into or it’s game over.
Controls are simple with a tap on the screen telling your cab where to head. By default, the route it takes is simply the shortest one between the current location and the destination. If you’re unhappy with the route, you can drag out an alternative of your own choosing. Why do this? Well, all the drivers in New York (including your own) are among the dumbest you’ll come across – instead of taking action to avoid accidents, your driver and those of the other vehicles, will blindly follow their route until they reach their destination or a collision occurs. Actually, you can never allow another car to get close to yours even when it’s stationary as it seems impossible for the population of New York to pass your car without insurance details needing to be exchanged.
So, what’s it like to play? In a word, frustrating. It’s not five minutes before road rage starts to surface. You’ll find yourself muttering away in irritation as some numbskull crashes into your cab just as you park up to deliver your passenger.
While, in Flight Control you can largely anticipate the path of the planes you need to avoid, in TaxiDrive, it’s much less predictable. A car may drive straight down the same road it starts on or turn off into a side street at any time. This makes for more tension as you hope the path you’ve dictated for your cab remains empty. Inevitably they rarely do and you’re faced with split second decisions to find an alternative. It’s not uncommon to have to amend the route several times for what seems a single, short journey. As time goes on, more cars fill the streets to make your job that much trickier. This is plate spinning with added tension.
The frustration inevitably starts to ease a little as you begin to get the hang of it. Once you realise the need to babysit your cab’s every move rather than just ‘set and forget’ his route, things pick up. Money starts to roll in and you’ll even be given a spare cab (an extra ‘life’) to play with when you hit a certain amount of cash. Not long after, you’ll accrue enough money to get access to a new map and start the whole thing over.
In the early stages, much of the frustration comes from the fact that one crash ends your game. A little leeway at the beginning (perhaps with a certain level of damage being allowed before you die, for example), would do much to make the experience a little smoother.
Verdict
Although TaxiDrive’s an enjoyable diversion in itself, it’s impossible for me not to judge it against Flight Control and, it has to be said, it suffers in comparison. There’s not a huge difference but the fact remains that Flight Control is just a little better in every area: a bit less frustrating, slightly nicer graphics and a touch more enjoyable to play.
Think of it as the slightly disappointing sequel to a well loved original. It’s ‘Temple of Doom’ rather than ‘Raiders’. You’ll probably still enjoy it but you’ll find yourself going back to the original.
TaxiDrive
Version reviewed: V1.0
Category: Games
Company: syncRage
Current Price: £0.59
Works on: iPhone & iPod Touch
UK App Store Link