Former Forza Horizon leads at Maverick Games are taking the open-world racer to the French Riviera with a cinematic story, deep customization and handling that already feels right.
I’ve been waiting years for a driving game to give me one specific feeling, and I finally got my hands on something that might deliver it. This is Clutch.
Clutch Hands-On Preview: The Driving Game With a Real Story I’ve Been Waiting ForWhat Clutch is
Clutch is a cinematic, open-world action driving game from Maverick Games, published by Focus Entertainment. It’s coming in spring 2027 to Xbox Series X|S and PC, and it’s an Xbox Play Anywhere game, so buying it on Xbox console or the Xbox PC store gets you both versions, with cross-save and cross-play. Here’s why my ears perked up: Maverick is led by Mike Brown, the former creative director of Forza Horizon, along with other senior leads from that franchise. These are the people who helped build the games I’ve sunk hundreds of hours into.
The setting is the French Riviera. Yacht-lined harbors, winding coastal roads, mountains, gorges, vineyards and hilltop villages. It looks gorgeous.
Clutch could be the driving game with a real story I've been waiting for.
CMoney, OnPoint 4 Gamers
A double life, and an actual story
The hook is a double life. By day you compete in the Riviera 1000, the R1K, the most prestigious event in motorsport. By night you drop into the Midnight Collective, an underground street racing scene full of getaways, escalating pursuits and chases where no two escapes play out the same way.
And it has a real story. You follow Theo Martial and his sister Cass, played by Tosin Cole and Little Simz, in a script written by Skins co-creator Jamie Brittain. Family, legacy, betrayal. A driving game with a true cinematic story is exactly what I’ve been asking for. On top of that, Maverick is promising deep vehicle customization and experimental ClutchTech mods that let you build a true one-of-one ride.
Why this hits for a Forza Horizon fan
Real talk. I’m an Xbox guy, and I love Forza Horizon. But going into Horizon 6, I was hoping for a few things. I wanted more story, a purpose for driving beyond the next Horizon event. I wanted them to go harder on customization, and that fell short too. And I was hoping the house would be a fully explorable space where you could step out of the car and actually see your character. That didn’t happen either.
When I talked to the team at Maverick, they told me why they left Playground: they had a bigger vision for their next game, and they had to leave to make it real. Honestly, I get why Forza doesn’t change. It’s a well-oiled machine, and it’s too big to risk shaking up the formula and alienating its biggest fans. Until that formula stops working, it probably won’t change, and that’s okay, because Forza is amazing. Both games can exist. I’m just glad Clutch is here to maybe give me what I’ve been looking for: a real story, deeper customization and a reason to drive.
That house thing I wanted? In the preview footage Maverick has shown, you can get out of the car and walk certain areas in third person, like a slick penthouse. It looks incredible.
Hands-on: how it drives
My hands-on time was short but felt amazing. I played a quick on-track race, so I didn’t get to drive the open world, but it told me what I needed to know. The sense of speed is great. The handling is smooth and predictable, and if you know Horizon, you won’t be far off.
The verdict so far
Can Maverick make this game feel as good as Horizon in the hands? Yes. Yes, they can. Is it guaranteed? No. It’s a spring 2027 game, and a lot can happen between now and then. But if Maverick sticks the landing, Clutch could be the driving game with a real story I’ve been waiting for. I loved my time with it, and it’s now firmly on my radar.
This is a hands-on preview, so there’s no score here.
Wishlist Clutch on the Xbox Store (also on Steam).
Side note: I went hands-on with Clutch at Summer Game Fest 2026.
Sources
- Focus Entertainment, publishing announcement (Aug 24, 2026)
- Focus Entertainment game page
- Maverick Games, official announce trailer description
- Xbox Store listing (Xbox Play Anywhere)
- Pure Xbox, Play Anywhere confirmation (June 26, 2026)
- Gematsu, cast announcement
Image: Focus Entertainment / OnPoint 4 Gamers
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