Yes, I used a subset of C++ for the book. The goal was to be low-enough level to convince die hard game programmers that the examples were valid but clean enough for non-C++ programmers to read.
One of the things I find really interesting about C++ is that idiomatic, modern C++ is really gnarly looking. Lots of `std::` everywhere, tons of templates, etc.
But if you choose to eschew convention and roll your own stuff, you can actually write C++ in a pretty simple, clear style. There are significant downsides to doing that, of course. The prevailing style is prevailing for a reason. But I think it says something interesting about the language itself that it's so accommodating to a wide range of styles and levels of readability.
