A few years ago, there was a massive online trend in which people were fascinated by the process of power washing. For some reason, many found enjoyment in the menial task of slowly washing surfaces, cleaning houses, vehicles, and furniture of dirt and grime. For a while, I thought that this trend would quickly disappear into obscurity like most internet fads. That is, until FuturLabs and Square Enix released PowerWash Simulator.
PowerWash Simulator brought the powerwashing craze further into the mainstream. The game allowed you to visit multiple locations, such as playgrounds, skate parks, homes, and garages, and clean anything and everything in your path. Along the way, you can unlock more powerwashing gear to make your cleaning more efficient. After launch, the developers would even add collaborations with the likes of Final Fantasy VII and SpongeBob SquarePants. The game was quite successful, and as a result, it was only a matter of time before FuturLabs announced PowerWash Simulator 2.
Unlike its predecessor, PowerWash Simulator 2 is published entirely by FuturLabs, rather than Square Enix. With the sequel, the developers took that freedom and ran with it, adding several new mechanics, features, and quality-of-life changes to make a game that far surpasses its predecessor. At the same time, however, the changes in PowerWash Simulator 2 are somewhat negligible in the grand scheme of things, and despite the improvements, it largely feels like the same game as the original PowerWash Simulator.
Become One With the Power Washer
PowerWash Simulator 2 builds upon the satisfying foundation set by its predecessor. There’s a great deal of familiarity you will feel if you’ve played the previous game when you jump into your first job. You’re immediately asked to clean up your company van, and here, the game introduces you to tools that are both familiar yet different.
For starters, the selection of power washers has been completely overhauled. Rather than having dozens of different washers, you instead have three major washers, each with four variations. The variations have varying degrees of power, plus attachments that allow them to be handy for very different situations. For instance, each washer has an extender that allows you to clean surfaces from longer distances.
There are some key new additions to make the process of cleaning more streamlined, though. For one, soap is no longer a limited resource. In the predecessor, you had to get soap for specific types of materials like metal, wood, or stone. Now, soap works for all materials, sticks better to surfaces, and is able to facilitate more efficient removal of grime.
Another major addition is the inclusion of new tools to help you reach higher spots. In the previous game, all you had was a step stool, ladder, and scaffolding to get to the top of a building you needed to clean. Now, alongside all of the previously mentioned equipment, you can also use an abseiling rig to rappel downwards and clean surfaces midair. There’s also an adjustable cherry picker, which you can lower and raise with the push of a button, and move around at will.
Easily my favorite new addition in PowerWash Simulator 2, though, is the new surface cleaner. While you will still have access to the traditional washers, which clean dirt from a distance, you now have a washer that you can simply apply to the floor. This is perfect for cleaning the sidewalk or any other flat surfaces, such as the roof of a building. I found myself using these new features quite a bit, sometimes in combination with each other.
For example, I would often spray soap on the wall, raise the cherry picker upwards, then use the surface washer to clean the dirt-filled area. When these features all come together, it’s hard not to reach a zen state in which all you can think about is washing the dirt. As someone who bought the game on Nintendo Switch 2, I had a blast undertaking different jobs while listening to music or a podcast in the background. This isn’t even covering the mechanics I didn’t experiment with as much, such as the addition of local split-screen co-op.
With that being said, while most of the new mechanics in PowerWash Simulator 2 are extremely fun to play around with, the overall experience doesn’t really offer that much new value compared to the original PowerWash Simulator.
Relaxation Gives Way to Boredom
There’s a popular saying that I believe applies to PowerWash Simulator 2: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The problem with that approach is that, even though there was nothing particularly wrong with the original game’s formula, the second game really feels like it needs more new features that justify the sequel. As it is now, though, all the game’s mechanics are either completely negligible new features or elements lifted straight from the previous game.
For starters, there is one more new feature that I haven’t mentioned yet: the home base. Essentially, between jobs, you can go back to your own home. Here, you can pet some cats, choose your next job via a huge map, or, more importantly, add furniture to your home. After each job, you can purchase a new set of furniture, whether it’s a chair, a shelf, a table, or so on.
When you purchase the furniture, you can actually clean it with your power washer. In the moment, it seems like a cool feature to add more life to your home. That said, there aren’t many benefits to engaging with this feature. There are no benefits to adding more furniture to your home; it doesn’t add any perks to your tools, nor does it offer anything meaningful to the overall experience of PowerWash Simulator 2. Instead, it just feels like filler.
This sort of problem applies to the rest of the game. While the additions of new equipment, washers, and other quality-of-life features are much appreciated, after a few hours, it all starts to feel monotonous. While I understand that the point of the game is just to relax and lose yourself to the inherent relaxation of powerwashing, that serenity is lost when you realize there are 38 jobs of doing the same thing over and over again.
The problem isn’t necessarily that the game is repetitive, however. The issue with PowerWash Simulator 2 is that it’s far too similar to the previous game. Sure, it feels nicer compared to its predecessor, but I personally don’t think that the game makes enough new adjustments to justify its existence. Whether the UI, gameplay, animations, or all of it. Everything feels as though it is directly lifted from the original PowerWash Simulator.
For instance, after every job, you get the same exact results screen as the original. The menu screen, where you can pick different jobs, has an eerily similar design to the previous game. Beyond the surface washer, there aren’t really any exciting new washers to work towards as you undertake more jobs. As a result, I found myself constantly asking, “What content does this game truly add compared to the original PowerWash Simulator?”
Yes, the game is completely self-published by FuturLabs, which automatically adds more value to the experience compared to its predecessor. Further, there will be more content added in later content releases, including new collaborations. However, as it is now, PowerWash Simulator 2 feels less like a proper sequel and more like a second attempt at the original game.
A Glorified Remake
I really enjoyed playing the original PowerWash Simulator. The experience of cleaning at my own pace while listening to my playlist felt extremely satisfying and was a great way for me to wind down after a long day at school or work. So, when I found out that a sequel was in development, I was fairly excited to see how FuturLabs would build on the foundation of the previous game. With the finished product finally in my hands, however, I can’t help but feel a bit conflicted.
On the one hand, PowerWash Simulator 2 is still a fun time. The new features and mechanics, plus the updates to the original game’s formula, are fun and worth engaging with. Additionally, if you play the game on Nintendo Switch 2, you’ll have a great time whether you’re playing at home with a friend or you’re playing on the go by yourself. With that said, the lack of any meaningful new content is extremely distracting.
The sequel offers very little new content in the grand scheme of things. While the new additions, such as the new washers and home base mechanic, are fun to play around with, they don’t add anything new to the overall experience. Additionally, the fact that the overall formula, user interface, and animations are pulled straight from the original game, combined with the 38 jobs of doing the same thing over and over again, makes the entire game feel far more monotonous.
On the surface, PowerWash Simulator 2 isn’t a bad game. If you played a lot of PowerWash Simulator and you want more, then this is a must-buy for you. However, considering that the sequel is more of a re-do of the first game rather than a brand new experience, and seeing as more updates will be released down the line, you may be better off waiting till a discount or a major DLC is released.
Disclaimer: PowerWash Simulator 2 was reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2.
