‘Clutch’ Releases an Hour of Gameplay Highlighting Street Racing and Narrative Elements

‘Clutch’ Releases an Hour of Gameplay Highlighting Street Racing and Narrative Elements

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      In just a few weeks, we've transitioned from having no clue what to anticipate from Clutch, the forthcoming open-world action-racing title from Maverick Games' new team, to gaining an in-depth perspective on its world, including some of its cars and what you can do with them. On Thursday, the studio showcased an hour of gameplay from the title, which is set to release next spring.

      Honestly, it's a quite extensive glimpse into a game that, as indicated by Maverick’s Creative Director Mike Brown and Art Director Ben Penrose during the stream, is still early in development for this level of access. "For us, and the games we've shown you in the past, this is extraordinarily early," Brown, who previously directed Forza Horizon, mentions towards the end of the session. It's also notable that back in February, Amazon withdrew from its agreement to publish Clutch, which might be part of the studio's efforts to secure new backing.

      Given the game's early state, there are bugs, and the team acknowledges this, but it's still quite impressive to see how much of the experience seems nearly ready for launch, at least to the casual observer. The lighting model employs proprietary sky-capture technology that Maverick has incorporated into Unreal Engine’s Lumen system, making the Riviera nights visually stunning, even through a low-bitrate stream. The vehicle and character models also drew our admiration when we first laid eyes on the game.

      **CLUTCH // Early Gameplay Presentation 🔴 LIVE 🔴**

      A word of caution: If you wish to enter Clutch next year knowing as little as possible about its narrative, this stream might not be for you. The gameplay picks up literally from the beginning, showing our protagonists getting into trouble in a Fiat Multipla, leading to a tragedy that turns their lives upside down and prompts them to seek help from some dubious characters—though they engage in some questionable activities as well.

      Rather than diving deep into the main story elements, I want to emphasize some practical aspects of the game that caught my attention. Clutch features traditional closed-circuit races set in the Riviera R1K, the prestigious championship that underpins the game's narrative, along with street races that emphasize stylish driving and fulfilling viewer requests via a livestream rather than just finishing positions. These races take place at underground meetups, where you can also purchase older cars from the game's lineup, while newer models can be bought through dealerships.

      The social media aspect sounded a bit cringeworthy to me too, as it involves encouraging players to take risks similar to Burnout or Project Gotham Racing and awarding points based on viewer votes for successfully completing challenges. At one point in the footage, a viewer instructs Theo, the main character, to perform a drift, and he earns a significant amount of points for doing so.

      The selection of vehicles is striking—not only for some unconventional choices but also for seeing cars in unexpected scenarios. For instance, we see a winged E39 BMW M5 in a Riviera R1K race, competing alongside recent Aston Martin Vantages and Porsche 718 Caymans. I have to commend the quirky option that allows players to use turn signals and toggle between high and low beams, which supposedly influences the behavior of nearby drivers and traffic in interesting ways.

      Clutch’s vehicle lineup indeed covers a wide spectrum—there's even an extended driving segment featuring a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Maverick Games.

      Additionally, when switching camera views in the game, the camera moves through the vehicle and pauses at each location, reminiscent of the transition style in Colin McRae Dirt, rather than just quick cuts from chase cam to bumper to interior. Quite impressive!

      There are also some unconventional elements, like the inclusion of fictional podcasts that expand the world and seem to be optional listening. And if you thought the harpoon mechanic was strange, allowing speedy cornering, there are five other similar technologies you can mix and match on your vehicle, though their specifics remain unclear.

      A glimpse of a part of the game’s map, prominently featuring Monaco. Maverick Games.

      If you don’t mind some very early and mild spoilers, it's worthwhile to check out some of what Clutch has to offer in this stream. We also see a view of the open-world map at one point, showcasing the game’s 1:1 recreation of Monaco and its surrounding area, as Monaco is relatively small.

      Got a racing game, old or new, you'd like me to review? Feel free to contact the author: adam.ismail@thedrive.com

‘Clutch’ Releases an Hour of Gameplay Highlighting Street Racing and Narrative Elements ‘Clutch’ Releases an Hour of Gameplay Highlighting Street Racing and Narrative Elements ‘Clutch’ Releases an Hour of Gameplay Highlighting Street Racing and Narrative Elements ‘Clutch’ Releases an Hour of Gameplay Highlighting Street Racing and Narrative Elements

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‘Clutch’ Releases an Hour of Gameplay Highlighting Street Racing and Narrative Elements

It provides a detailed overview of the open-world action-racing game located in the French Riviera, which is still approximately a year away from its launch.