PowerWash Simulator 2 Review – Washing Your Worries Away

PowerWash Simulator 2 review

It's time to put on the rubber again, lace up your non-slip boots and pick up your trusty blaster. PowerWash 2 Simulator is back with brand new features, updated graphics and even more kittens.

Published and developed by FuturLab, PowerWash Simulator 2 picks up shortly after the original game ended. After a complex and fascinating story about missing cats, a giant merman statue, a volcano and a strange temple, Macington finally calmed down. During the first hours of the game, a giant gem disappeared from a merman statue. The ray of light that ran across the sky disappeared. Strange things are happening in town again, and you'll uncover them with your trusty car wash and adorable cats in tow.

Wacky adventure, relaxing gameplay

It's great when a sequel begins where the previous part left off. Seeing the aftermath and the continuation of the story helps the player jump into the game immediately – assuming they were there on the first journey. I really enjoyed the first game: I found it fun, charming, and somewhat silly. I'm glad to see these elements return as the story continues, but for those unfamiliar, the story may seem a little jarring. The merman statue had slipped my mind, so seeing it on screen was a surprise. I remember the story, but those who don't know what happened may be thrown off.

I'm glad that storytelling can come through in both dialogue and visual expressions. Scenes such as the amusement park clearly reference levels from the previous PowerWash simulator. Text messages from townspeople return and appear in the corner of the screen as you clear stages. Previously, these texts were quite small. If you were focused on your work, it was easy to miss what was said. These could be plot points or simple jokes. This time in PowerWash Simulator 2 the messages have been redesigned and enlarged. Messages pop up on the screen without being intrusive. Being able to enjoy these messages much more easily only enhanced an already delightful experience.

Stark Upgrades

PowerWash Simulator 2 takes everything that works from the first game and improves on it. It's already a zen-filled, relaxing gaming experience. Use an electric power washer with unlimited water to clean up the mess that Mcington residents find themselves in. Players can spend their hard-earned money to get more powerful washers and new attachments. The more powerful the washer, the more effective it is. You will definitely notice a difference when you upgrade to more powerful attachments. If you played the last game, you know that FuturLab has already worked out the physics and presentation of water as dirt is removed. What makes PowerWash Simulator 2 stand out even more are the new cleaning features.

Previously, soap could be purchased with in-game currency. It was a consumable item and came in different versions to solve different problems. I never used it, preferring instead to spend time on my tools. It has been completely redesigned and improved in PowerWash Simulator 2. Now with a simple press of a button you can switch to a universal soap dispenser. It doesn't cost anything at all; this is the feature you start the game with. After a few levels, you'll find very stubborn stains underneath regular dirt, and this soap sprayer will make cleaning them much easier. Speaking of dirt, the default Help feature highlights those pesky dirt spots in orange, but the ability to change the color helps a lot. I find the orange color to go with many of the flashy features of the PowerWash Simulator 2, so I prefer mine to have the green color.

Another major benefit of PowerWash Simulator 2 is the introduction of a scissor lift. Stools, ladders and scaffolding help on much larger stages, and a scissor lift is a huge addition. What I really didn't like was the rappelling. Large vertical surfaces are now not only much easier to clean, but also easier to move. The rappel and scissor lift controls are incredibly smooth, and even the scaffolding has been improved. Easier to climb with more room to maneuver. With PowerWash Simulator 2, FuturLab seems to have listened to every fan comment and improved the game in an exemplary manner.

Scissor lift and abseil are game changers

After playing through the DLC packs for PowerWash Simulator, I felt like the base game lacked more interactive features in the world. PowerWash Simulator 2 fixes this with new physics-based features such as a cleaning rocking chair and many more. We open the rear doors of the van to restore order inside. Disabling the wiper blades. Definitely an emergency scene in a public toilet that sinks into the ground when not in use. Features like these, although small, make PowerWash Simulator 2's stages that much more memorable.

Multiplayer is once again a feature of the game, but this time players will be able to set up their own car wash business. As you progress through the campaign levels, you will unlock very dirty pieces of furniture that need to be cleaned. After purchasing, you can go downstairs to the garage to tidy it up, then place it in the living room and decorate your business. By inviting other players to play, they will be able to appreciate your design style. In typical PowerWash Simulator style, I'm sure we can expect a lot of new scenes and scenery to appear.

If there's one thing I'd like to see added to PowerWash Simulator 2, it's the soundtrack. It doesn't have to be something powerful or booming, just something in the background. Some stages are incredibly large. Cleaning them easily takes over an hour, usually much more. Just like in real life, I think this experience could benefit from a little background noise other than the sound of water cleaning everything.

No ringtones

PowerWash Simulator 2 took everything the previous game had and simply made it better. What was already an immersive, charming, zen experience was made even better with improved graphics, larger scenes, and some of the fantastic quality of life improvements that fans were hoping for. New features such as the scissor lift and abseil make small but interesting improvements to the gameplay.

PowerWash Simulator 2 is available on Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC. For more information, check out the game official website.

**PS5 code provided by publisher**