Baja: Edge of Control is about (oddly enough) losing control. More to the point, it focuses on the completely mad and unpredictable nature of Baja racing where the point isn’t necessarily to make it to the end first, but rather make it to the end in one piece. For those not too familiar with the sport, Baja racing involves racing a heavily customized off-road vehicle over some of the roughest courses in the world, where taking a bumpy corner just a little bit too fast can give spectators a new fantastic mid-air photo to mount on their walls - followed shortly by a loud expensive noise.

Featuring some 40-odd vehicles split up over eight familiar classes (4x4, Buggies, etc), and over 100 miles of terrain on a variety of courses, this game provides a huge number of avenues for gamers to get their Baja racing fix. Among the included modes are your basic free ride, rally and circuit races, a Hill Climb, an “Open-Class” challenge (involving all the different vehicle classes coming together for a single crash-happy race), and of course the famous Baja Race which can take literally three or four hours (!) to complete, although gamers without that much endurance can opt for the shorter Baja 250 or 500 races.

What’s most impressive is the game’s physics engine. After spending some hard time with real Baja racing rigs and dumping an insane amount of effort into articulating and programming the long-travel suspension systems on each vehicle, the result is something that reminds me of the first time I saw trailers for the original Halo. But not only do the vehicles look breathtakingly realistic when bumping and grinding their way over the terrain – they also feature a realistic damage modeling system where parts of your vehicle can deform or fly off after taking enough abuse. The damage system in particular plays a key role in some of the lengthier races, where a flat tire or water leak can really ruin your day.

Fortunately, the game provides you with the ability to pull into a pit-stop for repairs, call in a support chopper, or replace a flat tire with a spare in the field, which is something I also observed the AI needing to do on several occasions (usually after I had exploited them as the racing equivalent of a pinball bumper to nudge my way around a corner). The game further enhances the racing experience with an astonishing graphical presentation, packed in with an impressive draw distance, some stunning vistas (especially on the tracks taking place in the mornings or evenings), and some very nice use of shader effects.

The actual gameplay isn’t half-bad either. The core of the game is focused on the “Baja Career” mode, where you start off with a basic Volkswagen buggy and earn credits to work your way up through the ranks. Credits can be spent either on better vehicles, or on upgrades for your existing ride (such as to the engine or suspension components), though you can also fine-tune the suspension levels, gear ratios, and other smaller details at no cost if you desire.