Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights review

As its moniker implies, Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights transports players to a world where high-tech aesthetics meld with tuner culture. Developed by Gunpower Games in collaboration with Focuspoint Studios, this racer delivers arcade-style drifting along with an ample arsenal of weaponry.

The concept of Need for Speed Underground mixed with WipeOut certainly sounds captivating. But Cyber Clutch’s gameplay doesn’t always match its sense of neon-drenched style. But it’s not a complete crash and burn, either.

Good Looking, but Intermittently Obstinate Tracks

From the moment you hit the starting line, races take the center stage, with seven tracks (not including reversed layouts) and five cups inviting you to outsprint eight opponents to the finish line. The venues and car handling all seem to reference other, more polished racing games. The tracks themselves are wide enough to provide plenty of room for passing. And each is filled with familiar gimmicks, from jumps that require speed, side walls that can be traversed, giant loops, and hazards like rotating fans and giant smashers.

And while you can earn a Mario Kart-style boost when drifting, responsiveness is too dynamic. At some points, Cyber Clutch seems to snatch the steering wheel away from you, launching you into a wall when you’re just attempting a clean slide around a corner. Steering sensitivity seems to vary, which can be exasperating when you’re rocketing across an elevated ramp with no guard-railing.

The developers seem aware of the issue, as there are both manual and automatic respawns that occur quickly enough to not jeopardize your racing position. While it’s rare, the courses are sporadically too complicated for their own good. Hitting some of the odd corners can send your car tumbling toward an unexpected trajectory.

Blur-ry Combat

Weapons add a layer of chaos to the mix, injecting the kind vehicular combat found in games like Blur. During races, you’ll pick up offensive and defensive items that range from energy bolts, EMP bursts, shield domes, to flame trails. Although the arsenal is certainty flashy, it’s not always balanced. Some weapons feel overpowered, capable of swinging a race in the final moments, while others barely make a dent. There’s fun to be had here, but not without moments of aggravation, particularly when you’re blindsided by an unavoidable sky laser as you head toward the final stretch.

One of Hot Import Nights more prominent drawbacks is that its various elements don’t harmonize. Sure, the game’s presentation is visually unified, with purposefully glitchy HUD overlays, cool looking retro-futuristic vehicles, and a high-BPM soundtrack. But Cyber Clutch’s play systems don’t always gel together. With its frequent jumps and drifts, non-lock-on weapons are difficult to aim. As such, there’s an imbalance that favors racing over combat. Even when you do manage to take down a rival, it’s mostly a minor hindrance for them rather than a debilitating setback.

Cult Classic in the Making, But in Need of a Tune-Up

Yet, for aficionados of high-octane racers with chaotic energy, Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights has its charms. It’s hardly a precision racer, so it’s a rather inviting game where you can take on a cup or two without much practice. Undoubtedly, the game has its share of spectacle moments, like when you’re rocketing down a tube, firing projectiles that are spiraling ahead of you. With some tuning to handling and gameplay balance Hot Import Nights could become a cult favorite beloved by players who appreciate mid-tier titles.

Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights was played on
PC with review code provided by the publisher.