PowerWash Simulator 2 Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 & PC)

PowerWash Simulator 2 probably could have simply followed the same route as a lot of its competitors and still received the same amount of support from its fans. Truth be told, it could have bundled the same amount of content as a traditional DLC into a new vessel and declared it a sequel, and nobody would have bat an eyelid. And yet, even with the flexibility to cut such corners, it didn’t opt for that approach; it chose to pursue an even broader route—a spiraling path that would ultimately include more campaign jobs, bulkier objectives, and an entire host of quality-of-life improvements. It didn’t want to be a cash grab; it wanted to be the next big thing in chore core simulation.

At its core, PowerWash Simulator 2 is still the same ol’ soap-and-scrub cleaning affair that we’ve been subjecting ourselves to since the beginning. It isn’t a revolutionary concept, nor is it one that finds better ways to flesh out an otherwise mundane experience. But what it does manage to bring to the table is a huge selection of original jobs across a variety of incredibly creative biomes, with the addition of new key areas—Power Falls, Sponge Valley, and Lubri City, for instance—to explore. In addition to all of that, it comes clean with a slew of new updates, system overhauls, and a good old-fashioned spit shine to make some of those dirtier textures all the more satisfying to scrub and vaporize. And that’s barely scraping the tip of the iceberg, believe it or not.

Of course, if you’re familiar with the original chapter in the series, then you ought to be familiar with how the procedure works. If not, then allow us to clue you in.

More Soap, Please

It all begins with a contract—an assignment that requires you, the curator of power washing tools and squeaky clean techniques, to manually remove the grit from one of several locations and restore it to its natural state. Like before, the sequel revolves around sizable jobs that, depending upon how you choose to tackle them, can take you anywhere from forty minutes to a handful of hours to complete. The goal, however, remains the same as before: work through several crucial areas on the map, and gradually build up a progress bar. Also like the original, the more jobs you fulfill, the more opportunities and rewards you can receive. Rewards equal better tools, attachments, nozzles, and skins, and the rest, as you can probably guess, is rather self explanatory. It’s power washing 101, basically.

The good news is that, despite the sequel still housing most of the same mechanics and tools, it isn’t a direct replica of its predecessor. By that I mean, it doesn’t settle for the same locations, set pieces, and tasks. No, PowerWash Simulator 2 does, thankfully, envelope a ton of fresh worlds to scrub clean. From theme parks to lavish estates, construction sites to teapot houses, the game itself tours an entire webbing of vibrant and jam-packed locations and unfamiliar landmarks. In other words, it isn’t just a run-of-the-mill DLC with a couple of additional wings to wax; it’s a full-fledged installment that provides a meaty career mode and, as luck would have it, a co-op mode that you can easily slip into with your friends. That’s another huge boon in itself, and one that, in all honesty, should have been implemented before. Better late than never, I suppose.

Wax On, Wax Off

One of the major selling points here is the wealth of equipment that you can utilize during jobs. Unlike before, where you would typically prance around and spam buttons to make those harder to reach spots that tiny bit cleaner, PowerWash Simulator 2 makes it so that you have access to a selection of tools and resources, including a scissor lift and scaffolding. It also makes it so that each of the add-ons you have in your arsenal have a purpose, and aren’t just gimmicks that you can freely alternate between for the sake of it.

While the overall gameplay loop is still as textbook as they come, the second chapter in the series does host some great new features and UI enhancements, such as cleaner mini maps, efficient navigation menus, and a solid HUD for helping you locate those trickier bits and bobs. Moreover, it elevates the existing graphical capabilities to harbor even shinier surfaces and a ton of visually appealing effects that look oddly beautiful in their own grubby sort of way. It’s still the same ol’ PowerWash Simulator, but with a glossier finish.

The bad news is that the multiplayer option does have some drawbacks to it. For example, the lobbies are awfully difficult to connect to; the option to invite a friend can be annoyingly finicky; and the general act of launching a co-op session can be very intimidating. Perhaps these are minor teething issues that can be fixed in the near future. Even still, it is worth noting that, if you are looking to begin a collaborative affair with a friend, then you may want to hold out for the first major update to be released before jumping into the deep end to don the gloves and mask.

Verdict

PowerWash Simulator 2 cleanses its palette of grime and grease and, with the addition of a sudsy spool of fresh and vibrant biomes, contracts, and quality-of-life improvements, establishes the foundation for a sizable sequel that is a tremendous amount of fun to wade through. It’s still the same ol’ PowerWash, but with a wealth of scrubbable content and more bang for your buck.

Suffice it to say that, despite it being a conceptually dull and, let’s face it, visually threatening series, PowerWash Simulator has the capacity to deliver an experience that’s an absolute blast to play no matter the time of day. It’s bottled therapy with soap; it’s a soothing affair that, although still a little daunting even during the best of times, always finds fresh ways to keep you coming back for another squeeze. And to be perfectly clear, the sequel brings all of these perks, and then some.

If you’ve already rung out the final droplets of dirt and grease from the Shrek, Wallace & Gromit and Alice in Wonderland DLCs, then you should definitely take the plunge into PowerWash Simulator 2. It’s bigger, better, and above all, cleaner than ever. If that’s enough to keep you happy, then you shouldn’t struggle to find your fill here.