It's like Forza Horizon and NFS, but bigger and better! We evaluate the gameplay details of the racing arcade Clutch

Not long ago we mentioned a new racing project from a bunch of Forza Horizon veterans. Now Maverick Games has released a chunk of live gameplay and walked us through many of the nuts-and-bolts for their ambitious title, Clutch.

Attention has latched onto the game’s cinematic flare and the jump in visual fidelity. The British devs insist Clutch won’t be a plain sim; they want a full-on cinematic racer where you’re the stunt driver. The campaign follows siblings Theo and Cass, split between the glossy pro circuit of the R1K league and the grubby, illegal streets run by the Midnight Collective. And the best part — the large story arc with thefts, gangsters, and shootouts can be fully played cooperatively with two players!

Maverick says they built custom physics inside Unreal Engine 5. PCGamer staff who had hands-on time at SGF reported that, even in beta, it felt smooth and “doesn't suffer from the stuttering typical for other open-world UE5 games.” Take that as a hopeful sign rather than gospel — it’s a preview, after all.

The world aims to evoke the French Riviera, with a near 1:1 recreation of Monaco as the showpiece.

Interesting features of Clutch from the preview:

• At launch, 150 meticulously recreated cars are promised. Customization leans into the ultimate tuning fantasy (think NFS Underground vibes). A key change: you can now exit vehicles on foot — walk around tuning showrooms or hang out at player meet-ups; co-op/solo options both supported.
• The sanctioned races get interrupted by action: vehicles can be kitted out with spy gear. The headline gadget is an integrated harpoon with physics that really matter — it can flip a police SUV mid-chase, hook onto a chopper for a dramatic escape (a la Fast & Furious), or anchor you to a brutal 90-degree hairpin on a cliff road for wild drifts.
• Open-world sessions top out at 16 players per lobby. There's a PvPvE heist mode where teams race to grab items from map points while messing with rivals and dodging a smart police AI; as you progress, better getaway cars unlock. (Yes, it’s as chaotic as it sounds.)
• Map explorers will find familiar open-world mechanics borrowed from the Forza playbook: speed traps, ramp jumps with leaderboards, and hundreds of scattered collectibles outside Monaco.

Some bits will remind players of arcade crash-fests, others of cop-chase dramas; the driving, the devs claim, tries to hit that Horizon-level polish. Release is planned for next year on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.