Welcome back to The Backlog, where we review games based on a certain genre each month. We are starting off March by exploring various “simulator” games, and what better way to start your spring cleaning than with “PowerWash Simulator.”
“PowerWash Simulator” was developed by FuturLab and published by Square Enix Collective in 2022. It’s available on consoles such as PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch, and is also available for purchase through Steam. If you couldn’t already tell by the title, the game involves you playing as a local power washing company in the town of Muckingham. Through your friend Harper Shaw, you are tasked with various jobs throughout town in order to earn money and expand the company.
The first-person powerwashing experience is known for being soothing and calming to players, washing away filth without a care in the world. As you progress and complete jobs, you can buy new equipment to make cleaning easier and quicker. This includes different nozzles, extensions and soaps. You are also able to customize the equipment with skins and change the appearance of your character.
There is an underlying story in “PowerWash Simulator” through the various texts you receive from Shaw and customers. Basically, the mayor’s cat, Ulysses, has gone missing. As you power wash dirt away, you may find paw prints around these locations. If you explore the surrounding areas, you can find missing posters, paw prints and sometimes even Ulysses relaxing on buildings. If you complete the story mode jobs and watch the end credits, you are shown a cutscene where Ulysses is in the back of your van with her kittens. Personally, I think that any game with cats or dogs is immediately qualified for Game of the Year, but unfortunately you cannot pet Ulysses.
The story mode is a straightforward experience, but “PowerWash Simulator” has many crossover DLCs with various games and franchises. Some of the most notable were “Tomb Raider,” “Back to the Future” and recently on Feb. 27, “Warhammer 40k.” These crossover events have more jobs for the player to clean, like the DeLorean from “Back to the Future” and the Dark Angels Deathwing Redemptor Dreadnought from “Warhammer 40k.” Basically it’s a giant mecha, which is always fun.
If you are fond of simplistic games that don’t try to stress you out, “PowerWash Simulator” is right up your alley. I found myself not thinking about anything as I cleaned an entire house, only to realize once I finished that about half an hour had passed by. It goes to show how easy it is to become hypnotized by the power washer. Large jobs like the skatepark may take more than one session to complete, but the timelapse video that plays when you’ve finished is incredibly satisfying.
I will say that there are some things that aggravated me during my playthrough. For one thing, it’s incredibly easy to miss a single speck of dirt. This can make you go insane if you are trying to finish cleaning a certain part, and it doesn’t give you a 100% cleaning score because you missed one corner. It can be difficult to find exactly where the dirt is if the segment is large, like a rooftop.
Also, the ladder and scaffolding gave me issues. Although it does help you reach higher areas and clean tall buildings like in the fire station, I found it annoying how the character can have trouble going up and down the ladder. Also, the fact that the power washer will sometimes spray the ladder instead of the building if positioned wrong was frustrating. The scaffolding is nice for tall buildings but it can become tiring to constantly climb it, clean the parts you reach, go back down, move/rotate it and repeat the process.
Despite my qualms, “PowerWash Simulator” does exactly what it sought to do: create a satisfying experience for players who want to be at peace. The only thing you need to fight against is dirt and grime.
Rating: 4.5/5