Review of Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom

This crazy adventure includes hundreds of items, an evil clone of Elon, and an homage to Crazy Taxi.

Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom
Platform: PC
Developer: Panik Arcade
Publisher: Those Awesome Guys
Release date: April 9th, 2024
Price: $16.99, $15.29 launch discount price until April 23rd
Digital availability: Steam

Although I don’t generally start reviews with a warning, Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom most definitely deserves one. Should you share my obsession with collecting every trinket in collect-a-thons, you may want to think twice before hailing this cab. Similar to a digital Easter egg hunt, Yellow Taxi is a throwback to the PlayStation/Nintendo 64 games of the past that required players to search landscapes for scattered objects.

Every level in Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom is a complex map with hidden passageways and collectible objects that frequently linger just out of reach, much like the Spyro and Banjo series. Following the formula, those gears are required to unlock new levels, which will restart the entire collection procedure until you’ve collected all 250 of them.

An Abrupt Flash of Originality

And if this explanation may sound a little Sisyphean, there is an allure to shifting gears. Part of that can be attributed to the setting, since Vroom is situated in one of those consistently captivating low-poly environments full of tunes that make you nod your head. The quirk that contributes to the attraction is that there isn’t a separate jump button. The “Flip-O’-Will” move, which is essentially a spin-dash, takes its place. When operated on an incline, it has the ability to launch your taxi into the air.

However, there are other ways to maneuver your taxi. The Flip-O’-Will can be cancelled to stop your momentum and prevent you from going over your target. Alternatively, you can double-tap the button to tip over your taxi and gain a little extra distance via a roof-bounce. However, the most of the time, you’ll search every location for a ramp that can propel your tiny wind-up car in the direction of a collectible. You’ll essentially adopt a skateboarding mentality, viewing surrounding items as tools for movement.

Wind-up Cab Firmware Updates Not Available

Naturally, figuring out the exact route to take your taxi to a higher level is rarely a one-time task. And that’s when the obsession started. I was too busy trying to figure out how to get hold of some of those leftover gears during my spring vacation to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. Matteo and Lorenzo, the creators of Yellow Taxi, I hope you guys are happy of yourself!

In addition to gathering green gears, you’ll feel tempted to gather the coins that are strewn around each level; sometimes, these coins are hidden in obvious blocks. If you have enough cash on hand, you can buy makeup for your taxi. They may not offer any navigational benefits, but it’s better to spend the money than to lose it on a poorly positioned jump.

Strangely, the moveset of your cab doesn’t change as the game progresses. It’s clear that Matteo and Lorenzo, who operate under the name Panik Arcade, have little interest in teaching a steady progression of new skills. Instead, they want you to become proficient with Vroom’s control system as you deal with a more difficult placement of collectibles. Yes, it can be a little challenging to land a jump at first. But soon enough, you’ll be launching your taxi into the air and bringing it to a rest on a small ledge.

Transporting Travelers and Eliminating Plant Life

Thankfully, there are more goals besides locating gears and cash. Since there are many potentially harmful items on every level, my inner digital vandal had fun using my automobile to chop down bushes and trees. Every now and again, Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom breaks up the group with a variation that functions similarly to Crazy Taxi and assigns you the duty of transporting strange passengers to their destinations. Another one is set at a bizarre bowling alley where people dressed as pinheads frequent. The only thing I have against it is that there weren’t more of these asides.

Vroom’s setup is really promising. It is expressed by an NPC by the name of Morio, who is usually portrayed from an unwavering, under-the-belly viewpoint. Antagonism in this instance stems from Alien Mosk’s cunning schemes. He has corrupted the world’s automobiles as the leader of Tosla, tainting the power supply. Fortunately, the top evil officer cannot reach you since you are a wind-up taxicab.

If there is a problem with the game, it is that Yellow Taxi’s satirical setup isn’t used to its full potential. Undoubtedly, the world is full of strange things, such as clouds shaped like Wario and bodybuilders in dire need of a lift. Nevertheless, there are a lot of lost opportunities due to the egotism and unstable behavior of Mosk’s real-world correspondent. The Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom item collection is definitely excellent, but Panik Arcade’s prose is just too sentimental.

On a PC, Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom was played using a review code that the publisher sent.

Review Overview

Gameplay – 80%

Controls – 75%

Aesthetics – 80%

Content – 85%

Accessibility – 75%

Value – 85%

80%

VERY GOOD!

Summary : These days, collect-a-thons are incredibly uncommon. However, Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom is a captivating reminder that collecting hundreds of cleverly positioned objects is still just as much fun as playing the Spyro or Banjo series. With the exception of a few satirical moments gone by, it’s decent enough to leave you wondering why the genre has declined.