PowerWash Simulator 2 preview: A powerfully clean experience

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I chose not to play the original PowerWash Simulator because I suspected it would hook me, much like other “tedious job” games do. They have a strange effect on my brain that keeps me engrossed for long hours, often while I listen to music or podcasts. Games such as House Flipper and Euro Truck Simulator are examples of this. Given my past experience with these types of games, I knew that getting too close to PowerWash Sim would negatively impact my free time. And now, having played a few hours of PowerWash Simulator 2, my initial apprehension appears justified.

Initially, I wondered what unique elements could be incorporated into a sequel for such a game beyond additional levels. However, it appears that quite a bit has been added. For starters, jobs are now multi-staged, meaning instead of cleaning everything in one map, you’ll move through various areas to complete a job. Additionally, there are more items and tools available for purchase to aid you in your tasks.

The place where I spent most of my time was a billboard next to a highway. Cleaning this large billboard would have been quite a hassle in its original state, especially since the underside of the platform was high up. But now, there are adjustable scaffolds available, which provide a movable platform that increases the variety of levels you can work on. Later, when it was time to clean the billboard itself, I could secure myself into a mobile harness to move easily around both sides of the massive structure.

A billboard, being a large outdoor advertising structure, can be incredibly time-consuming to clean with only a pressure washer. To address this issue and respond to fan requests for a highly desired feature from the original game, this new version includes a surface cleaner tool. Although the game centers around finding pleasure in a monotonous chore, scrubbing surfaces such as the floor of a vast children’s playground might be pushing the boundaries of what is mentally engaging enough to warrant satisfaction. The addition of the surface cleaner allows for quicker cleaning of extensive flat surfaces like this (once you’ve accumulated sufficient in-game currency to unlock it), expanding the potential size and complexity of levels.

Regarding the core experience in this game, the powerwashing segment continues to be gratifying, enhanced slightly with some cosmetic upgrades to the graphics that heighten the pleasure of transforming something filthy into something pristine. New animations have been incorporated to depict water flowing over surfaces, though these are purely visual and don’t affect the dirt removal process or simulate realistic draining effects, which might seem a bit underwhelming, but then again, I didn’t anticipate advanced liquid dynamics in this game.

In addition, efforts have been made to simplify locating the remaining tiny bits of grime. While you still possess the highlighting button for any residual dirt, a checklist of all the distinct areas within the level has also been provided, along with the percentage of cleanliness for each area. This feature is particularly useful when striving for 100% completion, but could benefit from clearer names for each segment. For instance, when cleaning a large van, labels like “Truck Bed Side” may not be helpful if there are multiple segments with the same name in the level.

Despite being a “chore simulator” game, it effectively keeps my mind engaged and focused while I multitask with background audio. However, compared to other games I’ve mentioned, it seems to be missing a certain element that makes it less captivating. House Flipper offers the creative aspect of interior design, and Euro Truck Simulator presents the challenge of precise driving, but PWS2 appears to lack that additional feature that would make it more engaging – it’s essentially what you see is what you get.

Absolutely, for numerous individuals, that’s more than enough, and as I mentioned earlier, I can’t help but be drawn into it when the game launches. It offers an ideal combination of a task needing minimal concentration while still permitting you to relax and drift off to other content playing in the background. Alternatively, you could team up with three friends and let out youthful laughter at the cartoonish genitalia graffiti you spray onto vehicles. Both approaches are equally acceptable, so don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.

PowerWash Simulator 2 will release later this year on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

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2025-08-06 17:28