When Mike Brown, the creative director behind Forza Horizon 5, left Playground Games to start Maverick Games three years ago, the question became what his debut project would look like. The answer is Clutch, a single-player-focused open-world driving game that borrows some DNA from his previous work while charting its own course.
The game drops you into the south of France, across Monaco and the French Riviera, with a roster of real cars from Porsche, Aston Martin, BMW, Land Rover, and Renault. That setting and car selection will feel familiar to Forza fans, as will the rewind button that lets you undo mistakes on the fly. But the similarities largely end there.
Where Forza Horizon orbits around the festival at its core, Clutch centers on you and your character's sister as the two siblings navigate a world of under-the-table delivery jobs. The story carries genuine weight, with characters and plot developments that the studio clearly sees as central to the experience. The narrative tone recalls the recent Brad Pitt F1 film, sharing that movie's sense of fun and dramatic energy without necessarily mirroring its specific beats.
Gameplay remains grounded in what made Forza Horizon work: accessible driving that doesn't pretend to be a pure simulation. But Clutch layers in some arcadey flourishes that set it apart. During a demo, one mission tasked players with extracting a rare Aston Martin Valhalla from a penthouse. The twist came mid-escape, when the car fired a harpoon. Yes, really. You can shoot it at objects for traversal, swinging around corners much like the 1989 Batmobile, or simply interact with the environment in ways that traditional driving games don't allow.
Six of these tools can be unlocked throughout the campaign. The harpoon was the only one shown, but it hints at how Clutch plans to blend driving mechanics with environmental puzzle-solving and spectacle.
The handling itself felt solid in practice. A three-lap race at the end of the preview showed aggressive rival AI that demands smart, attentive driving to advance. Brown's team appears to have successfully captured the feel Forza Horizon players know and love, while keeping things accessible enough for a wider audience.
Expect a healthy car roster, though nowhere near the 500-plus vehicles Forza brings. The setting is genuinely appealing, the characters seem worth investing in, and the overall package hints at a game that understands what makes open-world driving fun. Clutch arrives in Spring 2027.
Author Emily Chen: "Brown's departure to found his own studio could have gone either way, but Clutch feels like vindication that the creative talent was the draw all along."
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