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Baja: Edge of Control

EMAIL PRINTps3

4.0 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 21 critic reviews
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Based on 7 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: THQ

Developer: 2XL Games

Genre(s): Racing, Driving

Players: 8

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: September 22, 2008

Summary

From the core founding members of the MX vs. ATV franchise comes the next off-road racing experience: BAJA. Conquer the toughest terrain Mother Nature has to offer and build the ultimate off-road vehicle. Combining the best elements of the real-world sport with the right balance of arcade fun, BAJA transports players to the epic open worlds and unforgiving terrain found at the pinnacle of off-road racing. Stunning visuals, vertical environments, and unpredictable terrain are crossed in over 100 square miles of drive-to-horizon landscape. Master hill-climb, circuit, and rally races to earn career sponsorships on the path to off-road supremacy. Harness the horsepower of elite Trophy Trucks, 4x4’s and Buggies to finally compete in the definitive off-road endurance challenge, the Baja. Supercharged Vehicles: Harness the horsepower of over 40 elite Trophy Trucks, 4x4’s and Buggies across eight varied vehicle classes. Horizontal Racing: Suspension, torque and horsepo wer are perfectly balanced to create the ultimate edge-of-control racing experience. Fine-tune the roar of your off-road machine with over 200 authentic vehicle parts. Power past the competition in 4-player split screen and 8-player online racing. [THQ]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

1UP

Yeah, it's not for everybody (Gran Turismo fans may find themselves frustrated), but Baja gives you something a little off the beaten track -- and that's more than most racing games can say.

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GameShark

What’s most impressive is the game’s physics engine.

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Game Informer

As a debut title, it's a straight-forward affair. [Dec 2008, p.112]

Thunderbolt

It’s a punishing game but rewarding in equal measures, and will draw you in like no other racing game quite has managed so far this generation - bring on BAJA 2: World Tour.

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Worth Playing

Baja: Edge of Control gets a lot of things right … and wrong. In virtually every category, it nails one aspect but completely misses the target on another.

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GameSpy

You are almost always riding the finest line between screaming along somewhat stably and totally losing it, and in that sense, Baja succeeds tremendously. Those kinds of stakes may not appeal to everyone, however, and the majority of people who tend to like finishing races may not need all of the incredible realism that an intense sim like Baja has to offer.

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GameTrailers

Baja manages to capture the chaos and intensity of off-roading, but the finicky controls undermine the experience.

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GamingExcellence

The harsh difficulty level and simulated driving makes for a frustrating experience if you’re not in it for the long haul.

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GameFocus

The game concept holds enormous potential and brings a rare realism to the off-road genre, but it requires a few tweaks to the gameplay, and a more elaborate career mode.

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GameSpot

This off-road racing game does a lot of things well, but the PS3 version looks so bad that it's tough to recommend.

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GameZone

Far from the grandest of racing experiences, Baja doesn't achieve a new level of depth or excitement, nor can it compete with the existing batch of off-road racers.

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Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)

Every vehicle slides around every turn with an alarming lack of control. [Nov 2008, p.79]

Playstation Official Magazine Australia

A brave competitor to Sony's mud king, but it's all a bit too bland to get revved up over. [Nov 2008, p.96]

GamingXP

The attempt to make a more serious, demanding racing-game for next-gen consoles completely failed. The challenging control turned out to be simply frustrating, graphics would make even the PS2 look away in shame and the given tuning options can only make mechanics happy.

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Gamer.nl

First of all, BAJA is in no way an instant classic. But it can give you that satisfying feeling after you won a match. The steep learning curve will scare of some gamers and if you're looking for more arcade just head over to the Motorstorm camp. But if you're a fan of the off-road genre just take a shot at BAJA.

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3DJuegos

Baja is as ambitious and attractive in its proposal, as clumsy and little inspired in its execution. The longest races, the main feature of the title, eventually become boring; the adversaries AI is so over the top that becomes frustrating; and unfortunately the graphical section for the PlayStation 3 version is especially regrettable.

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Cheat Code Central

In the end, it seems like Baja: Edge of Control was trying to please everybody and, in doing so, managed to create an experience that isn't ideal for anyone.

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Gaming Age

So while Baja is technically impressive, it's also maddeningly difficult, and easily one of the more frustrating racers I've played recently. The controls are unforgiving, and the vehicle damage is definitely realistic but also provides a huge hurdle for actually enjoying the game.

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Playstation Universe

Sadly, they didn’t capitalize on the potential and gamers were “stuck” with a mid-level game worthy of a rental at most.

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IGN

At times, it’s an edge-of your seat experience that gives you a sense of accomplishment for sliding across the finish line in one piece. Other times, it’s a confounding mix of erratic handling, insane difficulty and drab repetition.

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Playstation Official Magazine UK

If there were no other racers on PS3, or indeed on the planet, buying this would still be a mistake, but with the likes of Dirt already out there, and Motorstorm: Pacific Rift on the horizon, spending money on Baja would be nothing short of madness. [Dec 2008, p.113]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 4.0 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

C M. gave it a0:
The PS3 version at least - is graphically awful - the frame rate is so poor it's given me a headache and ended my time with the game after approximately 2 minutes. The handling may very well be good - but you know what? The handling in a lot of last gen games was good too. To produce this piece of excreta on a current gen machine is beyond belief. It looks like a pre-release version of an old pc game running on outmoded hardware - it certainly doesn't look like a modern game - not even a Wii one.

Flagmo-T TeamMoFF gave it an8:
Baja has got some willpower to listing to the Drivers, on how to develop this Game, That's what they have stated in one of the trailers, That sounds amazing, because it's not every day, that a game company have the will to listing to the ordiens, but they are hard to find, so if nobody can speak to them, then listing is easy ;) The Game has big issues on the graphical side, I've never seen vegitations grow that fast, and Tarmac roads being created about 40 meters infront of you, while you drive on them, and further more, is this a FPS Kill kind of Race Game, the crossings over traffic is close to murder, and can't be realistic, it is ruin the idea of reality in my way of getting in to this game, I need to feel it, and get lifted when I spend time on Driving, because I have spend about 6 hours of Racing, 3 tracks at the time, and I really had a ball, I was even laughing some times of exitement, but again why kill the joy with sad coded landscapes, when that is one of the brilliants with this Title. The game has some, and it's the most important some! and it's a Offroad Race Simulator, they only need to focus on the Sim Racing Community, and let Motorstorm and pure and what ever other Race titles are all about, do there thing.. We need a update quick for the PS3 version ( I use PS3) First priority must be the graphical side, then Gameplay and more ideas, like Free settings for controls, I use a Logitech Driving Force GT, which is the latest logitech Wheel, It should be supported by this Game already, but i don't think they have been giving it some thought's, which is a very wrong thing, the new wheel has some Major improvements from all other Logitech Wheels. Well !! I see Big potential with this Game, but it isn't there yet, and I will gladly discuss it, because I have been waiting for this, since the first pip.

Timothy B. gave it a9:
If you start in beginner class, with the VW buggies, as you work your way to the others you will really appreciate the sense of speed and control you get from all the classes. 4x4 class is difficult, as these vehicles arent meant for constant race conditions, the class after 4x4 is the open wheel class, which as the game will tell you, is the first real high performance you will try to master. From 1st person view, the speed sensation and higher level of stability kinda makes you feel like your in an f1 racer until you hit that whoop followed by a sloped turn causing you to adjust evry control available from the clutch to the e-brake to the thrttle control........Top Gear meets GT.....VERY well done!

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Baja: Edge of Control

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