The Forza Horizon franchise has been my favourite racing sequence because the launch of Forza Horizon 3. The wonderful racing mechanics, beautiful visuals, and the truth that it would not take itself too significantly coalesce into an expertise that has resonated with me on a constant foundation. So, naturally, once I heard that a number of key members of the Forza workforce (together with the director of my private favourite, Forza Horizon 5) had left Playground Video games to create a narrative-style sport utilizing most of the classes discovered from their time with that franchise, my curiosity was immediately piqued. But it surely wasn’t till I noticed the sport in motion — and briefly acquired my fingers on it — that it skyrocketed up my checklist of most anticipated video games.
Clutch is a story motion/racing sport that places you within the function of Theo Martial, an elite driver who was adopted into racing royalty alongside his sister. The primary scene I see takes place in 2010. Theo and his sister Cass, additionally playable, are youngsters at the back of the automotive. When their adopted mom steps inside for a second, Theo jumps into the driving force seat as Robbie Williams’ “Let Me Entertain You” performs. This serves because the tutorial, but additionally provides glimpses into the cinematic high quality Clutch delivers.
By subsequent scenes, it shortly turns into obvious the form of story Clutch will inform. Penned by Skins co-creator Jamie Brittain, Clutch appears to inform a narrative rooted within the real looking racing circuit, however with action-movie components much like what you’d see in a center entry of the Quick and the Livid movie. Following that introductory sequence, we leap to 12 months sooner or later, as Theo has gone full vigilante and is dashing away from the police within the south of France. Subsequent, it is six months sooner or later, and Theo is taking part in a avenue race as a part of the Midnight Collective; unsanctioned races which are largely ignored by the police. Subsequent, you slide into the driving force’s seat as Cass in France amidst an offroad race.
This delivers a tremendous sampler of the content material to return, however the remaining prologue sequence units the stage, as Cass and Theo are set to take part within the R1K, the most important racing circuit, within the present day. We see the 2 siblings joking with their pal, who can be a racer, and interacting with their adoptive father, who the workforce tells me is a racing legend, and a significantly better supervisor than a father. After a short stint on the monitor, a large crash happens, and a peripheral character is killed on the monitor, sowing the seeds of doubt in Theo, in addition to the R1K’s commissioner. In a post-crash press convention, the commissioner pledges that adjustments are coming, together with new security measures that can add measures like brake help and traction management, sending racing purists right into a match.
The cutscenes hammer residence the extent of element within the facial seize know-how, because the animations are expressive and plausible. Unreal Engine 5’s developments are evident, not solely in scenes like this, the place we get close-ups of characters’ faces, but additionally on this planet whenever you’re driving round. The sport primarily takes place in one of many racing capitals of the world, Monaco, and it appears terrific. As you velocity round, Forza Horizon followers will discover comparable sights to participate in, together with quick-hit diversions like velocity traps, the place you need to move by means of an space of the road as quick as attainable.
Again in Theo’s villa, you’ll be able to stroll round in third individual. After a sequence the place Theo mentions questioning his profession as a driver following the catastrophic occasions of the R1K race, Theo’s father smashes a wine bottle on his ground and the 2 siblings velocity away. Theo follows Cass to a meetup of the Midnight Collective, the place he will get his first style of the underground racing scene. It’s also possible to stroll round in third-person at meetups, with Maverick Video games hoping to determine extra of a human/automotive connection than is usually placed on show in racing video games, permitting you to work together with automobiles in methods past only a floating digicam. It’s also possible to stroll as much as a automotive and buy it at these meetups, when you so select.
In R1K races, you’ve one objective: to complete first and declare the highest spot on the rostrum. In Midnight Collective races, it is all in regards to the rankings. The races are live-streamed, so your targets are way more various, together with, sure, placement, but additionally model. Success is predicated on what number of viewers you entice, with model factors and racing on the monitor incomes you extra viewers. Every checkpoint you move by means of earns extra followers, however you’ll be able to sacrifice that to chop throughout a shortcut, delivering a compelling threat/reward mechanic, as putting larger within the rankings additionally grants viewers.
The hands-off demo ends with probably the most narrative-leading a part of what I noticed. After getting in some scorching water, Theo seeks out a fixer at a bar in Monaco. After the 2 drive round, she tells him to search for an Aston Martin Valhalla in an house complicated. After Theo searches the complete storage, avoiding safety, he finally realizes it is up within the penthouse suite. After sneaking in, he spots it, however the alarm is triggered. The one means is out by means of the window, nevertheless it’s on the highest ground. Fortunately, the supercar is provided with a harpoon, so Theo smashes out the window, harpooning a close-by helicopter, which permits Theo to soundly contact down on the bottom because of what the workforce admits is action-movie physics. But it surely works.
And the harpoon, which is the primary of a number of devices you’ll be able to equip on autos, appears extraordinarily satisfying to make use of, both as a strategy to zip round corners, or on pursuing police autos to spin them out. I am wanting ahead to what different devices are on supply in Clutch, however the workforce is remaining tight-lipped for now. That was how my hands-off demo ended, however I additionally had an opportunity to play by means of one R1K race.
As anticipated, driving feels very similar to it does in Forza Horizon, albeit barely stiffer. I do not know if it’s because I used to be dashing across the monitor in a decked out racecar or if it feels that means throughout the board, nevertheless it was barely much less unfastened. Regardless of this, it nonetheless feels nice, and affords most of the identical management schemes and facilities as Forza Horizon, such because the driving line, which tells you when to brake and speed up, and the rewind performance. I recognize that the rewind mechanic is handbook, permitting you to dictate precisely the place you wish to rewind to, somewhat than Horizon’s chunks-at-a-time methodology. Sadly, my time with Clutch is means too quick, however I noticed and felt what I wanted to, so I am unable to be too upset.
I emerge from many demos and conferences at every Summer season Recreation Fest excited to see how the sport I simply noticed will pan out. There are various such instances at Summer season Recreation Fest 2026. However Clutch is a uncommon case the place I can not wait to play by means of the complete model of the sport. Now, a number of days faraway from SGF, it’s nearly actually my favourite factor I noticed on the present, and I am unable to wait to lastly play the ultimate sport and see the place Theo and Cass’ story takes us when Clutch arrives in 2027.
