The new Clutch racing project was shown at the Summer Game Fest — and the first press reviews have already arrived. The journalists have tried out the demo version and are sharing their impressions. It makes an impression, by the way, very promising.
While fans of the genre are traveling around Japan in Forza Horizon 6, Maverick Games studio — founded by veterans of the series — is preparing its contender for the throne. Looking at the first reactions, a competitor can turn out to be toothy.
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An overview of Clutch’s gameplay and story campaign at Summer Game Fest
The main presentation of the Summer Game Fest was not pleased with the gameplay. But publications like Video Games Chronicle and Gamespot have already published their reports. Their main message is that Clutch is not just another arcade game. The project aims at a story campaign in the spirit of “Fast and Furious” (yes, with pretentious chases and drama).
The VGC journalists were particularly enthusiastic about the cut scenes. The introductory clip of the races looks so high-quality that it can be confused with the trailer of a Hollywood action movie. Plot inserts are a really strong point here.
Features of the Clutch demo with racing on the streets of Monaco
The press had a one-hour demo at their disposal. It includes:
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A free trip around Monaco with a search for caches where spare parts are stored.
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One race in the fictional R1K tournament.
An interesting detail: even the third place in the race will affect the development of the plot. You will not be able to finish in the usual way — there will be consequences.
Car physics and control simulation in the Clutch game
The physics of cars resembles Forza Horizon, although there is a noticeable bias towards greater realism. This is especially felt when drifting — you need to catch the car, not step on the gas. Hardcore simulators like Gran Turismo or iRacing are certainly far away. But every car behaves in its own way. And this is not surprising: there will be not hundreds, but several dozens of cars in the Clutch. Among those already confirmed are the Fiat Multipla (yes, the one), the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 and the Aston Martin Valhalla. The latter, by the way, is equipped with a hook for cutting corners and avoiding the police. It sounds crazy, but why not?
However, the artificial intelligence of the rivals still needs to be improved. Journalists have noticed that opponents sometimes slow down sharply or, conversely, suddenly accelerate. It’s a little damp, but there’s still time before the release.
The cooperative mode and free movement on foot in Clutch
Another important difference from Forza — the ability to leave the car in certain locations. There you can take a walk, play mini-games, or set up a car through… a slot machine. Yes, it sounds strange, but that’s the way it’s meant to be. There will be no full—fledged free movement on foot around the world — only in strictly designated places.
But what’s really interesting is that the story campaign can be played in a cooperative. One player turns the steering wheel, the other is responsible for the gas and brakes. It is because of this feature that Clutch will require a constant Internet connection (yes, always online).
Multi-player Multiplayer and PvPvE network mode in Clutch
In addition to co-op, the game has a multiplayer mode for 16 racers. You can run both on classic tracks and on the streets of Monaco. The PvPvE mode will offer very criminal mechanics: players will compete in stealing the same car. Whoever took you away, well done.
Release date of Clutch on personal computers and PS5 consoles
Despite all the ambitions, the release is not tomorrow. The game will be released on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S only next spring. That is, it will take a long time to wait — but judging by the first impressions, it may be worth it. At least Clutch doesn’t try to blindly copy the leaders. This is already worthy of respect.
Comparison of racing games Clutch vs Forza Horizon 5 and NFS Unbound
Each of these races promotes its own philosophy, and there is no direct clash of heads. Forza Horizon 5 has transformed the open world into a flawless but sterile auto show: there are more than 500 cars in the fleet, the seasons change, there are a lot of activities, but the plot is dead, and the atmosphere seems too safe. The Need for Speed series has actually gone into the shadows after the release of Unbound — EA publishing has not yet announced a new part, leaving the niche of street racing empty. It is into this vacuum that Clutch aims, handing over to the players what they have long lost.
Comparison of Clutch, Forza Horizon 5 and NFS Unbound
The advantages of the Clutch plot over the Forza Horizon 5 simulator on PS5
The main trump card of Clutch against Forza Horizon 5 is its clear positioning. Developers don’t try to please everyone at all. They rely on the criminal underground, sane ENT and character development, which Playground Games has been openly ignoring for years. In addition, the FH5 does not have a PS5 version. For a huge audience of Sony consoles, a new game from Maverick Games automatically becomes the main and only next-door racing game in the open world.
The differences between the Clutch physical model and the NFS Unbound arcade race
If we compare the new product with NFS Unbound, the key differences lie in the physical model and the approach to simulation. GamesRadar portal journalists, who managed to touch the project at the Summer Game Fest, called the local government a strong SimCade. This is no longer a pure arcade game like Unbound with its cartoon drift, but it is also not a jaw-dropping simulator. While EA is putting its franchise on pause, Maverick Games is picking up an audience tired of self-repetition.
Clutch’s only weak spot on paper is its modest garage. It’s hard for debutants to compete with the Forza Horizon 5 fleet, where over 500 cars are available. However, Playground Games has been collecting its licensed database for 12 years. The developers from Maverick immediately stated that their choice is a detailed study of the behavior of each car, and not a race for quantity at the expense of quality.
