Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights Review

When it comes to racing titles, I am very picky personally. For me, circuit racers don’t really engage me, and I bounce off them very quickly. If you mix it up a little, though, and give me a rally experience or something a little different, I’ll be all over it. Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights is a neon-infused racer that combines intense high-speed racing with combat. It is along the lines of titles such as Mario Kart, Crash Team Racing and the like, so it’s right up my street.

Modes & Progression

Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights offers a variety of modes to cater to players who prefer single-player only or competitive multiplayer against real-world opponents.

Grand Circuit – Grand Circuit is a single-player racing game with five different cups. Each contains three tracks, and they all require wins to progress to further stages

Quick Race – Fully customisable races against AI opponents

Ranked Race – Competitive online races with leaderboard integration and fully crossplay between consoles and PC

Private Race –  Customisable races where friends can be invited, or you can flesh out the lobby with AI bots

I found that during the Grand Circuit that the earlier races served as a tutorial, and the difficulty ramps up as you progress. I spent the majority of my time in the ranked races, but unfortunately, in the off-peak hours, it became tough to find full lobbies.

Handling & Customisation

Handling is everything in a racing title, and fortunately, it is decent in Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights. Steering and drifting are snappy and responsive, and every reaction feels on point. Drifting takes some getting used to, but once you become used to it and get it right, it is satisfying. If you make a mistake, then there is an automatic reset feature that brings you right back into the action immediately.

Credits can be earned after races, and you can customise your rides in between to fine-tune the vehicles to your taste. Both performance and the visual styles can be tinkered with, so if you like playing around with different builds, then you may be impressed here. You can change the chassis, play around with body kits, rims and paint jobs along with neon lighting. If you want power performance, then you can swap engines, turbochargers, suspension, and try and cater to your driving style. I spent a lot of time here playing with different vehicle builds.

Visuals & Audio

You’ll be pleased to hear that Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights achieves a locked 60 frames per second on Xbox Series X. I am a big fan of the neon-tainted Cyberpunk-esque aesthetic across the game. If you played the Wipeout games on the original Playstation, then you’ll be familiar with that theme, which this seems to take a little inspiration from. Track design is very good with different routes, shortcuts and jumps. With the neon effects, there is some attractive lighting with great reflection details.

When it comes to the audio, we have a soundtrack that blends in with the atmosphere and energy of the game. Cars sound punchy, and the weaponry effects filter through the rest of the audio really well. Overall, a job well done by Gunpowder Games and Focuspoint Studios.

Final Thoughts

Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights is a decent competitive racer that isn’t going to break the bank. During the early hours of the night, I had difficulty finding races with human opponents, so I do have some concerns about its longevity. Overall, though, for its price point and the fact that it features crossplay functionality, it can be an absolute blast, and I had a great time with it.

If you’re into racers that are quick, short and snappy with a quick adrenaline rush, then I do recommend you check this one out. Especially if you’re into some of the older arena racers such as Blur, Wipeout or even Mario Kart.