The first patch for Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator has been released, focusing on the various performance issues that have plagued the taxi simulator. So is the sun now shining brighter in Barcelona? Let’s find out!
A rough ride
As we’ve already covered in our Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator review, it’s not been the best start to life in Barcelona.
The taxi game launched with numerous performance issues, including frame rate stuttering, freezing, and the world not loading correctly. We witnessed AI traffic driving into the void several times, making navigating the streets far harder than it needed to be.
The AI was also incredibly volatile. If cars weren’t driving into the back of you in their cars, pedestrians were stepping out in front of you. Unpredictable AI is always the downfall of a driving game, and sadly Taxi Life is no different.
To Simteract's credit, the developers noted all of the community’s concerns, and the latest patch resolves most of them according to the patch notes. .
Fixing Barcelona
The first patch for Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator is out now, and it breathes new life into Barcelona. The headline feature is easily the AI rebalancing, with cars now less likely to ram you and pedestrians no longer throwing themselves into your path.
The framerate stuttering issues are also addressed, with the majority of the city now experiencing a much smoother drive. The developers state that some areas may still cause stuttering, but it’s still a massive improvement from before.
The game’s controls have also been revised, with players using a controller now able to combine inputs to execute specific actions. A new tooltip has also been included to help controller players navigate the various controls.
There’s even room in the patch for a community-requested feature. NPC taxis now roam the streets, providing realism and competition as you cruise around the city.
Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator patch notes
Check out the full Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator patch notes below:
- Performance Enhancements
- Reduced instances of framerate stuttering, ensuring smoother gameplay for all drivers navigating the bustling streets of our city. Slight stuttering issues can still be occurring in some areas, the team is still working on it for a next patch.
- Pedestrian and AI Improvements
- Resolved issues leading to fewer collisions from AI cars into players, making for a more realistic driving environment.
- Controller Input Enhancement
- Introducing a helpful tooltip hint feature! Press LB/L1 on your gamepad to discover which controller inputs can be combined to execute specific actions. For seamless integration, restore Controls to default in the SYSTEM SETTINGS menu under the CONTROLS tab using the "Reset to default" function.
- General Fixes
- Addressed various issues related to AI cars, GPS functionality, Settings menu navigation, environmental elements, car damage mechanics, and audio performance, ensuring a smoother and more enjoyable driving experience overall.
- Community-Requested Feature
- NPC taxis are now cruising the city streets, adding an extra layer of realism to your driving adventures
Will you be revisiting Barcelona now that Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator has been patched? Let us know in the comments below!
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