Game Reviews

Baja: Edge of Control, much like the real world's Baja 1000 race, is all about testing the player's endurance. Rather than restricting this to a single lengthy race however, Edge of Control lays on pressures on multiple fronts, from a dizzying number of vehicle classes and race types to an immaculately detailed tuning mechanic. Class-specific upgrades come in multiple flavors across all of the expected categories, including engine, power train, suspension, brakes, weight and so on.

Visually, Baja manages to impress for as long as the action keeps moving. Environments fly by when races are run "correctly," highlighting the great job 2XL did with painting the stunning desert coast backdrops of the Baja Peninsula. Vehicles also come apart quite convincingly, shedding panels and other bits as a result of heavy impact. Slow down too much however, and the cracks begin to form. Vehicles may shatter convincingly, but they lack the high levels of detail seen in other modern racers. And environment, beautiful as they are from a distance, reveal themselves as little more than a collection of flat textures with every (frequently occurring) off-the-road spin-out.

Then there are the races themselves, filled with aggressive competitors and day-ruining bumps and moguls which can easily send your vehicle spiraling out of control and into the off-off-road brush. God forbid you hit a rock and shed parts, inching ever-closer towards a full-on breakdown. A chopper can be called in during races, allowing players to halt upon reaching a map icon for repairs, but this tends to sacrifice more precious seconds in the already challenging racer than are generally worth it. For offline play, Baja comes in two flavors. Career mode starts you off in the most basic of classes, called Baja Bug, with a minimal amount of cash – called credits in the game – to buy and slightly tweak a starter vehicle. Compete in a series of leagues and race well to earn money and contingency sponsorships, which pay additional bonuses if you can keep the sponsor logo intact on your vehicle for the length of a race. More credits means more upgrades and better vehicles, with the idea being to keep buying your way into higher-class races which feature larger purses waiting to be won.