BAJA: Edge of Control HD PC Review

It’s been nearly a decade since Baja: Edge of Control tried breaking new ground on a fresh Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 generation of consoles. The racing game has since returned as Baja: Edge of Control HD, the remaster for Playstation 4, Xbox One and now also PC. THQ, what is old is new again; that must be the mantra of THQ Nordic. The rebranded Nordic Games is dead set on reintroducing all of the defunct publisher’s properties, coming off the trail of other releases like Darksiders, de Blob and Lock’s Quest. None of these titles have been bad choices, mind; THQ’s catalog of middle-range games has always been filled with interesting variances.

Baja: Edge of Control HD is one of those ideas that, while as routine as can be as a whole, has one simple and effective difference in how it handles racing. While most of its peers focus on gauging speed, track knowledge and squeezing in a groove, Baja is all about controlling the total chaos that comes with desert tracks, muddy ripples and huge sand hills. This is one bumpy ride or, at least, it can and should be rocky.

On arcade mode, the open beaches and dirt tracks of Baja: Edge of Control HD seem manageable. Cars still bump and jump, but some braking and steering can fix that and lead to fairly straight driving. Arcade is the mode to start and get a sense of how to navigate corners, elevation and jumps, as well as taking in the bright expanses of the game. Baja: Edge of Control HD, while limited in its frills, is not a bad looking game, crisp and nuanced enough so that the desert doesn’t come off as just one brown tone. Big open fields, drenched in sunlight, offer a sense of freedom, ready to be tamed. Effects, such as kicked up dust and splattering, don’t follow the same quality, sadly.

Animations, particularly those of the cars themselves, do effortlessly compare to their peers and they are instrumental to understanding how Baja: Edge of Control HD works. To truly take in the marvel of this racing rollercoaster, however, it’s necessary to transition from arcade driving and hop into simulation mode. In Career Mode, this is the difference between easy and hard difficulty settings.

Simulation goes all out in ensuring it gets the job done. Vehicles buck all over the track, even on straight lines, since the real challenge in Baja is mastering the road itself. Every small crevice, every tire groove alters the cars’ direction wildly. Keeping as much momentum as possible, while getting tossed around, is the way to win the race. There were few games like it that shifted the focus to momentum when the racing game first released on PS3 and Xbox One; there still aren’t many examples now that the remaster came to PS4 and Xbox One. That alone makes Baja: Edge of Control HD something to look into.

Since coming to a virtual standstill is almost inevitable when being thrown around like a ball in a bingo machine, vehicles come equipped with a clutch mechanism. Engaging the clutch at the right time uses a jolt of speed that can prevent cars from stopping and instead has them keep motoring, as if nothing happened. Especially in race modes like hill climbs, this tool can help pass many an opponent struggling to mount that steep road upward. Even race types are catered square at this different hook in gameplay. Baja: Edge of Control HD knows what it’s about, which is damn good to see such a confident, cohesive whole.

Simulation, however, is also crushingly hard. One tiny slip up and the vehicle will get ejected, which leads to catching up on a ton of lost time. Upgrades can help present more of a fight, but not much. Further customization in the career can be done by fine-tuning a ton of equipment. Additionally, managing parts can be important as well, since the toll of the road is as harsh as its challenge. Tough landings destroy water and oil reserves, flipping the clutch wares out fast and any collision can send bodywork on it flying. That shell is needed to get sponsor money. Repairs in-game only take seconds, but that can be a mountain of difference in an already rocky race. Luckily, difficulty can be adjusted on the fly, for those who want to see the tons of tracks and vehicle types in the game.

Unlocking items in the career mode offers more content in single races and an excellent multiplayer open world setup, though there is no one playing the latter, sadly. That’s another staple of THQ; investing a lot in great gameplay systems that no one uses. It’s there though and it runs like a dream; a barren, solitary dream.

Steam overlay needs to be turned off, because it covers the entire screen

To keep things on the business as usual front, Baja: Edge of Control HD is as limited of a PC port as all of Nordic’s previous work. A configuration tool with already limited options straight up doesn’t work, the interface is needlessly clunky, with little feedback and guidance. There is no tutorial of any kind. Resolutions are touch and go on whether they’ll stick. The only positive aspect of the remaster is that it has its priorities straight in that it’s stable, looks sharp and has some great generic rock tracks. Don’t go looking for extras, though.

Baja: Edge of Control HD is one of a kind in the racing world, using momentum and control as its main focus. Events are a relentless fight from start to finish and that certainly keeps the driving title refreshing through its tons of tracks. A great but dead multiplayer aspect aside, that’s all the straightforward release has to offer, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing; far from it. Rather a cohesive whole than a convoluted mess, full of filler. There’s plenty complexity in the race itself anyway. 

Daav Valentaten, NoobFeed (@Daavpuke)