PowerWash Simulator 2 Review — Spray the day Away

Ah, power washing… easily one of the most satisfying trends to enter the social media sphere in years. There is something that simply appeals to a primal part of the brain, watching thick layers of dirt and scum be precisely washed away by a high-powered jet of water. Like home renovation, the fantasy of owning a small power washing business is one that appeals to me, as well as many other gamers out there, and nobody has capitalized on gamifying that fantasy quite like the makers of PowerWash Simulator 2.

The sequel to the trendy title that took over YouTube years ago, PowerWash Simulator 2 is even more of the power-cleaning fantasy you enjoyed in the first, enhanced with new features and mechanics to clean even more dirt than ever before.

The first of these worth pointing out is the fact that, alongside new jobs to complete, the game’s map has been expanded, allowing you to take on jobs in areas never before seen in the base game. For the type of simulation game PowerWash Simulator 2 is, you could easily say that this alone could warrant a sequel—more of the precise power-washing physics of the first, with new areas to do it in and with more opportunity to do so.

However, PowerWash Simulator 2 also expands the roster of tools available in the first game, with a variety of washers available to unlock, as well as different nozzles and extensions to put on them—my favorite of which being a new mop-like washer that polishes up flat spaces incredibly well.

Familiar mechanics from the first game also return with slight changes or adjustments. The most notable of these is definitely in how PowerWash Simulator 2 handles soap; it sticks to surfaces better, foams up nicely, and can be gently sprayed away to remove harder stains in a satisfying manner. For many jobs in the game, I just approached with a “soap first, wash after” strategy. It was not only generally much easier than toying with spray settings and pressure, but it was super satisfying to watch it coat a wall and wash away to reveal a sparkling shine.

For those who didn’t play the first, yes, PowerWash Simulator 2 has excellent simulated physics in regard to, well, power washing. Your jets of water clean away dirt with varying degrees of success depending on how you nozzle your hose, with thicker patches requiring stronger streams. Your stream can be widened for less powerful cleaning, or even channeled through an extended hose for more power and length. The simulated dirt, water, and washing physics are phenomenal and are, of course, what the whole game is built around.

Also new to the game are multi-stage cleaning levels. You’ll start at, say, the exterior of a building, clean away all of the grime and dirt, only to find a door opening or some other transition leading you to the next part of the level. These multi-tiered jobs are not only immersive but also extend jobs in a way that doesn’t feel dragged out or boring, giving you new areas within the same job to clean that often require a different approach than the last.

As far as the game’s progression goes, you can buy a few extra jets and different nozzles, and extensions for each water jet in the game. Skins are also available, but the main use of your cash would probably be decorating your new business’s home store with various kinds of furniture.

That being said, I wouldn’t say I was particularly excited by the progression in PowerWash Simulator 2. There isn’t a whole lot to do in this regard; you’ll get the jets you want and the extensions for them without too much of an investment, and beyond that, a lot of what you spend your money on feels kind of pointless or out of sight often enough that you don’t even think about it. The point of the game is the satisfying gameplay loop, which for many will be enough, but others will get a little tired of the repetition without a meaningful progression system to reward their progress.

Campaign-wise, you have a lot of clever narrative explanations as to why certain areas are dirty that add to the fun of cleaning them. These are portrayed through little text messages that continue during the job you do, giving you a bit of immersion and a fun narrative distraction from the repetition of washing off dirt.

For what the game is, PowerWash Simulator 2 is great. It’s a niche simulator game that portrays, again, a niche fantasy and does it incredibly well. For the audience that wants to power wash dirt off of walls and see the shine underneath, you can’t do better than PowerWash Simulator 2. If you’re looking for more of a meaningful campaign where the money you earn and spend matters, you’re not really going to find it here. PowerWash Simulator 2 wants to hook you on its gameplay loop, and if it can’t, it doesn’t have a whole lot else to offer you.

Try Hard Guides was provided a Steam code for this PC review of PowerWash Simulator 2. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! PowerWash Simulator 2 is available on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.