The Dreamcast had many modern and unique video games, and Loopy Taxi stands out as the very best of the lot, to the extent that I can nonetheless fortunately boot the sport up for a fast drive by way of its good blue skies recreation of San Francisco. In truth, I even fired it up simply forward of getting a primary hands-on of the lengthy overdue sequence reboot, Loopy Taxi: World Tour at Gamescom 2026. Maybe that was a mistake, because it solely helped drive dwelling every part in regards to the new recreation that felt fallacious to me.
After the unique announcement seemed like a case of deja vu by being set as soon as once more within the West Coast, World Tour’s Gamescom demo at the very least delivers on the sub-title’s premise by taking you to a different a part of the world. Slightly apt for Gamescom, I get to drive round a map primarily based on Germany, full with a gothic cathedral, vibrant market sq., and wind generators. And regardless that this reboot is meant to be an open-world, it truly stays true to the unique recreation’s structure, which is definitely formed like a circuit.
(Picture credit score: Sega)
However the issue comes when you begin driving.
Within the unique Loopy Taxi, your cab would not management like different vehicles in racing video games, it makes use of a easy gear shift the place D is for driving and R is for reversing. These D and R gears are nonetheless current within the recreation’s UI on the underside proper of the display screen however they may as properly not be since you do not change them anymore, with the cab simply going into reverse after you’ve got held down brake and are available to a cease, just like how driving controls are carried out in different video games with driving components.
As an alternative, tips like Loopy Boosts and Loopy Drifts have been simplified to only urgent a devoted button. Within the case of boosting or coming to a fast cease, you simply press B along with the set off for accelerating or brake respectively.
The brand new Nitro Enhance that is a staple of different arcade racers I do not thoughts a lot, because it does require charging up a gauge, which fills quicker when performing skillful manouvres like passing vehicles very carefully or drifting fills it up quicker. In any case you will discover you could’t use it that commonly and a few challenges there is a restrict to what number of Nitro Boosts you should utilize so as to get the best ‘Loopy’ score, so Loopy Boosts stay an necessary ability to make use of as an alternative if you wish to hold going quick.
Clearly, the story marketing campaign additionally means a distinct pacing as you are not always beneath the clock like the unique arcade recreation however can drive round freely and cease at NPCs for a wide range of missions.
There is a little bit of goofy attraction to it on a surreal stage to the Yakuza video games, although in Loopy Taxi’s context I am unable to assist however suppose again to the passenger characters you simply understood from taking a look at them for a second – the pregnant girl who must get to the hospital, the reverend who must get to the church, the man with flowers making an attempt to get to his date on the lighthouse – while not having to take heed to their life story.
Exterior of the story missions, you may also choose up some other passenger, which then has you coming into a type of mini arcade mode the place you do have a timer to get as many fares as you’ll be able to. It is nevertheless an inexpensive imitation as there is not any bonus that extends the timer and also you’re even allowed to only drop off your final passengers when the timer has run out.
One other very important aspect is the soundtrack, and people iconic songs from The Offspring and Dangerous Faith return, one thing that had blighted later ports that changed the music with utterly totally different bands. An necessary element is that these tracks are the shortened edits that the unique recreation had, which ensures you will get to listen to a couple of of them even when your shift may be very temporary, one thing post-Dreamcast ports ignored, whereas later ports changed the soundtrack altogether.
However these solely songs solely kick in when a mission begins. I believe I perceive the intent behind it, however certainly the soundtrack ought to nonetheless really feel kick-ass loopy moderately than simply bland filler?
(Picture credit score: Sega)
Perhaps these are simply very nitpicky ‘outdated man yells at cloud’ particulars to get bummed out about, and maybe the brand new multiplayer mode, which is getting a closed community check very quickly, may be capable of redeem issues. However having clocked numerous hours on the Dreamcast recreation, Loopy Taxi: World Tour merely would not have the elemental really feel of Loopy Taxi for me. It is like driving a automotive with a stick then being given an computerized and being anticipated to have the identical expertise. It simply is not.
Loopy Taxi: World Tour releases for PC, PS5, Xbox Sequence X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027.