One of the most surprising hits in recent years has to be FuturLab’s PowerWash Simulator, which let you experience the oddly satisfying thrill of jet-washing all sorts of things. To its credit, it also featured some brilliant themed DLC, including Wallace and Gromit, Shrek, Tomb Raider, and Warhammer 40,000, to name a few. So, is it really a shock to see FuturLab return with a sequel? PowerWash Simulator 2 takes the core of the first game and turns it up to eleven.
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So if you weren’t a fan of the original, this won’t change your mind. It’s very much more of the same: get a job, clean the thing, bank your cash, buy new gear, and repeat. The ultimate rinse-and-repeat cycle.
Keep It Light
As for the story, it’s light and cryptic, once again featuring cats and those gnomes. The “action” takes place three years after the Mount Rushless volcano was prevented from erupting. You and your friend Harper Shaw have bought a new building for your business in Muckingham.
And that’s about it. Sure, there are text and email conversations to read, but who has time for that when there’s grime to blast?
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Gameplay builds on the first game with new kit to help you clean, though most tools function similarly. Different washers and nozzles can speed things up or help you reach tricky spots. You’ll also get ladders, scaffolding, a new abseiling rig, and a scissor lift to access every area.
Soap Upgrade
The biggest change is that soap is now free and multipurpose. For returning fans, this is a godsend. No more buying different types for different jobs.
This pretty much sums up where PowerWash Simulator 2 sits in terms of improvements: soap is the headline act.
Job variety is strong once again, ranging from quick blasts to epic time sinks. You’ll clean everything from cars and street sweepers to fairground rides and highway billboards. It’s a great balance. Got hours to spare? Dive into a multi-stage task. Only have ten minutes? Clean a van.
Every job comes with that signature dopamine hit when you hear the “ding” for fully cleaning a surface or object.
Making It Your Own
Also new this time, you can decorate your office with furniture, which, of course, you’ll have to clean too. It’s a fun little distraction from your daily grime-fighting.
There’s also a refined tracking system to help you find the last few dirty spots. It’s not a game-changer, but it’s a welcome tweak that saves you from aimlessly hunting for that one missed patch.
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Visually, the game is colourful and crisp, with a cartoony charm. The music is almost non-existent, but that’s always been the case. It’s a podcast or “stick on some tunes” kind of game anyway – not a criticism, more a suggestion – especially since some jobs can take an hour or more.
PowerWash Simulator 2 is more of the same, but with smart upgrades and tweaks that keep the addictive loop intact. It’s oddly zen, and you can do it all in co-op with your mates.
A welcome second instalment that delivers what fans wanted while trimming what they didn’t. It’s still a weird game, no doubt, but its fans will absolutely love it.
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