Nearly everyone who likes racing games takes the opportunity to explore the areas off of the track. We've all been there: You're playing Gran Turismo, piloting a gorgeous Ferrari on a nicely paved road twisting through the Alps, and your eyes wander toward the mountains up ahead on the left. You can't help but wonder how the F430 would look after a romp on those snow-covered peaks. And the game will only let you go so far off the road.

THQ's Baja: Edge of Control not only allows you to stray way, way off course, it encourages it. The game offers you several tracks to race, huge expanses of area to explore, and a wide variety of cars and trucks in the following divisions -- Baja Bug, Unlimited VW, 4x4, Open Wheel, Mini Truck, Full-size Truck, Class 1 Unlimited, Trophy Truck, and Bonus Class -- and they're based on vehicles designed by real teams that race in Baja. Of course, as is the case in many racing games, you start with a slow, affordable vehicle and unlock better trucks and tracks as you win races and, with the credits you win, can tweak the race truck as you see fit.

For those who like to putt around and explore terrain, the Free Ride option is the one you want. Choose the environment and go nuts. See how far the limits of the game will take you -- and the limits are pretty far. But when it comes to the actual racing portion of the game -- circuit, rally, hillclimb, open class, and Baja -- the learning curve is a bit steep. You start with 25,000 credits, with which I bought a modified Bug (that's about all you can buy with that number of credits). And it was clear, right from the start of the first race (or, in my case, the start of several races) in circuit, that my 80-hp VW didn't stand a chance against the competition. Within three seconds of the green light, my car was alone on the screen. It was a lot like the Free Ride section, except the clock was ticking and the difference between last place (me) and everyone else was going up at an alarming rate. So I tried another event, this time the hillclimb. Same story. (Perhaps I should have found some cheat codes and unlocked a Trophy Truck.)

But I have no problem losing a race in a game as long as it's fun, and now that I was all alone in this virtual Baja, I had plenty of time to enjoy the graphics and physics of Baja: Edge of Control. The scenery looks great, and for anyone who has been to Baja, the hills, sky, and various terrain are incredibly accurate. Unfortunately, when your vehicle is driving through shallow water, the tires don't look quite right, almost as if your vehicle is floating, not driving. Also, with a game like this, the dirt and mud should fly off the tires as you speed along, and here, the tires spit out a hint of dust and a couple of little rocks. But it is fun to play and, over time, I know I'll get to drive something in the Unlimited class.

This game takes a while to get to know and get good at, so it takes more patience than games such as Motorstorm, where you can pick up a controller and have fun right away. In addition, load times are pretty slow. However, it's hard to translate the hard-core racing, adrenaline, nasty terrain, and constant fatigue of the Baja 500 and 1000 races, and we certainly appreciate how close this game gets to the sound and feel of racing in Baja.