The first of a new wave of racing games — well, at least two — by ex-Forza Horizon developers seeking to outdo Forza Horizon has been revealed. Maverick Games, led by Forza Horizon 5‘s creative director Mike Brown, unveiled Clutch, a story-focused racing game about sibling racers competing on what appears to be the French Riviera.
Clutch has elements familiar from Forza Horizon, like licensed cars, a glamorous tourist location, and a mix of official racing series and illicit street racing. But it also weaves in a crime story with hints of Need for Speed and even Grand Theft Auto, as the protagonist “gets in some trouble” that seems to result in him performing automotive heists and getting into police pursuits.
In Clutch, you can equip James Bond-style gadgets to your car to assist in these pursuits. The reveal trailer showed a grappling cable that shoots out of the front of the car, allowing it to slingshot around a lamppost.
The two lead characters, a brother and sister, also get involved in a century-old motorsport series called the R1K, and a street-racing group called the Midnight Collective which is all about “the raw thrill of speed,” according to Brown.
Maverick showed off impressively detailed car models that showed realistic signs of age and wear and tear. Clutch also one-ups Forza, Gran Turismo, and the rest of the racing field by allowing players to customize their cars’ interiors as well as exteriors. You can select from official manufacturer options, add aftermarket seats and steering wheels, and even fill the interior with coffee cups, parking tickets, trinkets, and discarded hoodies.
Clutch will get a follow-up reveal trailer at Summer Game Fest on Friday, June 5. Brown said this trailer would formally unveil the game’s characters and location. (It’s definitely the Riviera though; perhaps the setting will extend into northern Italy, as Forza Horizon 2 did.)
Clutch was originally set to be published by Amazon, but the tech giant pulled out of the deal back in February. Maverick Games appears to have been well-funded enough to continue with development anyway, and is seeking a new publishing partner.
Maverick isn’t the only rival studio based within a couple of miles of Forza Horizon developer Playground Games in Leamington Spa, U.K., and formed by ex-Playground staff. Lighthouse Games, led by Playground founder Gavin Raeburn, is also working on an open-world racing game.
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