Baja: Edge of Control HD Reviews

Baja: Edge of Control was a title that released last generation back in 2008. Nine years later, publisher THQ Nordic and developer 2XL Games have decided to remaster this title and dub it “HD” (because, you know, last generation games weren’t HD already). That being said, lets see how this off-road racer fares for the next-generation upgrade.

If I was to refer to 2017 as the re-age, I think we could all come to a consensus that it’s a fairly accurate statement. Remaster, reimagining, reboot, remake, however, you want to put it, it’s become the new status quo. Case in point, the movie It, a remake of an adaptation, is currently annihilating box office records. Enter Baja: Edge of Control HD, an HD remaster of a game released way back in 2008 that’s made its way back to consoles. I’ll forgive you if you don’t recall it making a splash nearly 10 years ago because I definitely did not. So, you can imagine how pleasantly surprised I was to find a solid, big, and pretty fun game dropped into my lap that looks damn good for a game older than my nephew.

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.

Released at a budget price of around £19.99, Baja: Edge of Control HD isn’t going to blow anyone away, but for racing game fans after some cheap off-road thrills it’s certainly worth considering. It’s got a decent rock-heavy soundtrack and its races are often full of thrills and spills, keeping you moderately entertained for well over 20 hours or so.

Baja is about as middle of the road as remasters get. While it’s great to see Nordic paying attention to its stable of dormant THQ properties, exhuming an average racing game from 2008 seems a tad misguided. Baja hasn’t aged particularly well, but it’s far from bad and there’s still some fun to be had taking to the track. You just have to question why this remaster even exists.

This ambitious racing game delivers a rewarding off-road experience provided you make it past the initially steep learning curve.