XBOX REVIEW | Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights

In a genre long dominated by realism and restraint, Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights throws caution to the neon wind. This is a game that doesn’t just flirt with chaos, it marries it, turbocharges the honeymoon, and drifts sideways through a cyberpunk skyline. Blending high-octane racing with explosive vehicular combat, it’s a love letter to arcade excess, wrapped in glowing rims and synthwave swagger.

Whether you’re chasing leaderboard glory or just trying to survive the next corner without flipping into a billboard, Cyber Clutch demands your attention, and your reflexes. It’s not always polished, but it’s rarely boring.

Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights features a variety of modes, including Grand Circuit, Quick Race, Ranked Race, and Private Race.

Now, let’s get into the review:

Things I liked!

• Visuals | Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights runs at a smooth 60 frames per second on the Series X. The cars look crisp, and, crucially for a racing game, you can genuinely feel the speed as they whizz around the tracks. The vistas beyond the circuits are stunning; you could easily mistake the setting for Cyberpunk 2077, as the world looks nearly identical. It’s clear the developers drew heavy inspiration from Cyberpunk 2077. I didn’t notice any graphical glitches during races, and I suspect a significant portion of the budget went into the visuals department, that’s where the game shines brightest for me.

• Gameplay no story in Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights. You choose from three car classes: Light, Medium, and Heavy, each with distinct handling. I recommend starting with a Medium-class car like the Spitfire for balanced performance. Car handling is responsive, even at high speeds, I always felt in control. Drifting is straightforward and rewards you with a speed boost, but timing is crucial. Drift at the wrong moment and you’ll go flying off the track. When that happens, the game automatically re-enters you into the race. If you need to reset manually, you can do so instantly with the press of a button. The main objective is to win all five cups in Grand Circuit Mode, each made up of three tracks. Winning unlocks the tougher Expert Grand Circuit. After each race, you earn credits to buy new vehicles and customise your car. Credits are also available in Quick Race, Ranked Race, and Private Race. Ranked Race lets you compete online to climb the leaderboard, though lobbies were often filled with bots due to low player activity. A short tutorial covers the basics, and gameplay ramps up in difficulty as you progress. All achievements are unlockable in single-player, so completionists can skip the online grind.
  
  
• Music | The soundtrack leans into synthwave and electronic beats, perfectly matching the game’s neon-soaked visuals and frantic pace. As a drum and bass fan, I was pleased to hear it featured prominently throughout. The music enhances the arcade feel and cyberpunk vibe, adding energy and atmosphere to each race. It’s less about standout melodies and more about setting the mood, keeping adrenaline high and immersion deep. The sound effects are also quite impressive, complementing the chaotic, high-speed gameplay with punchy, exaggerated audio cues. Engine roars, weapon blasts, and collision impacts are all dialled up to match the arcade-style intensity. While not aiming for realism, the effects reinforce the game’s over-the-top aesthetic, keeping races loud, lively, and immersive.
  
  
• Customisation Options | I’m not usually one to spend much time customising my car, but I was genuinely impressed by the options available here. Vehicles have four colour categories, primary, secondary, detailing, and emissive, and you can tweak parts like hoods, panels, thrusters, spoilers, wheels, and fenders. There are also preset colour combinations to get you started, which can be further customised. If you take pride in your car’s appearance, you could easily lose a few hours here. Unfortunately, these customisations don’t affect performance during races.

Mixed & disliked!

• Onboard Weaponry | Each car comes equipped with three weapons: a basic cannon and two unique, vehicle-specific tools. Some cars lean towards defence, dropping traps or mines, while others can fire homing missiles that lock on when charged. The balancing could use some tweaking, certain weapons feel noticeably overpowered, but overall, it adds excitement and unpredictability to each race.

• Performance Issues | When I first started playing Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights, the game would freeze and crash upon reaching the main title screen. This happened repeatedly, often requiring four or five attempts before it finally loaded properly. The issue was especially noticeable after completing the first cup. However, as I progressed and finished all the available cups, the problem seemed to occur far less frequently. I never encountered any other noticeable performance-related issues during my time playing.
  
  
• Lack Content | There are only eight tracks available in Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights, which is a real shame. In the main Grand Circuit Cup mode, some tracks are raced in reverse to increase variety, but it still feels limited. I really wish there were more. Certain gameplay modes, like Time Trial, are also missing. And if you’ve got a mate over, there’s no split-screen option for local multiplayer, which is a disappointing omission.

How long did I play the review before publishing? 10 Hours
How long to beat the story? No story, but around 4 hours to beat the Grand Circuit Cup
How many Achievements did I earn before publishing? 30/32 OR 920/1000G
How long to achieve 1000G | Around 15 Hours
You’ll love this game if you like these | Blur and Disney Speed Storm

CONCLUSION

Score: 75/100

Apart from the crashing I experienced when first launching Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights, which occurred during the initial load screen, it rarely happens now. There haven’t been any updates, so I suspect it may have been a bug early on. Despite its flaws, and with better options available on other platforms, I’ve mostly enjoyed my time with it. Racing is fast and chaotic, with plenty going on at all times. I liked that you can use the left analogue stick to move the camera around your car, which is great for spotting rivals behind you and dropping a perfectly timed mine or trap.Once you’ve completed the Grand Circuit Cup on both Standard and Expert difficulty and unlocked all the cars, there’s little left to play for. Online play is mostly filled with bots due to a lack of players, and the absence of a Time Trial mode doesn’t help. I  hope they add more tracks and gameplay modes in future updates. The car weaponry could also use some balancing tweaks. One thing I really appreciated was that all achievements can be earned offline, especially since online play, even against bots, feels as tough as the Expert Grand Circuit Cup. Overall, a fast-paced, single-player arcade racer with explosive combat, set in a cyberpunk future.