POWERWASH SIMULATOR Review: Relaxing Through These On-The-Go Jobs

Nintendo Switch Review Code Provided by Square Enix

Simulation games are created with a variety of purposes, be it humor or experience, and sometimes these simulators can almost be therapeutic. Square Enix and FuturLab created PowerWash Simulator last year and it has fallen under the therapeutic section for countless players. Since its launch, they brought it to more platforms with new content as well. Now, they have finally brought it over to the Nintendo Switch and so the question is, does the calming experience transfer over to the mobile platforms controls?

Gameplay

After loading up for the first time, you will find yourself with a few different game modes to choose from. The best thing to do is to start off with the career mode, which can be played either solo or with a friend. The other game modes can all host upwards to six players, but for career mode, it is a maximum of two players.

In career mode, you will begin washing your way through numerous vehicles, buildings, and eventually large open areas. As you complete these levels, you will earn money based on how well it is done and how much of the job you get done. Some jobs want you to finish in full before proceeding, but others will allow you to slack a bit.

With the money you earn, you can head to the shop and purchase upgrades to improve your power washing tool, get different soaps, and a large variety of other equipment options for the job. Ultimately, you are working your way to a powerful cleaning tool that can get jobs done fast and accurately.

Once you get comfortable with the controls, which you will quickly learn to adjust in the settings to fit your sensitivity levels and such, you can look into the other modes. These include a challenge mode that lets you race against a clock, free play mode which lets you take your time and thoroughly clean any level you have cleaned before, and specials that have very specific places to clean.

As for the actual cleaning part of the game, you have a variety of control options that really let you handle the job as you see fit. You can change your nozzle which changes the pressure used, what cleaning materials you are including, and whether you are cleaning with your full movement or by just moving the nozzle while you stand facing one direction. It helps that you can also easily see any spots you missed by highlighting the dirt and any grime left over will be highlighted to make it easy to find and clean.

I found the movement on the Switch controls to actually be a little frustrating. The default controls are incredibly jumpy and make it hard to do subtle movements, which is a bit part of cleaning every bit of a surface. I ended up lowering the sensitivity for it which helped with my nozzle control but then slowed down my turning speed by a very dramatic amount. It would have been better if they would separate my movement and nozzle controls so I don’t have to sacrifice my turning speed for my nozzle control.

The games HUD is pretty useful though as it keeps you up-to-date with your current job. You can see how much of the job you have finished cleaning, your current star rating for if you want to quit, how much money you have earned from your jobs and it is updated as you earn money on the current job, and more.

Audio and Visual

The aesthetics of this game are phenomenal as you can clearly see the difference between an unclean and properly power washed section of each level. Plus, the brightly colored world that fills each new vehicle or location that needs to be cleaned brings beauty out as the grime is washed away. The visuals alone are definitely part of what makes this game so enjoyable!

When it comes to the sound design, however, I thought it was quite strange that they don’t have music in the game. There isn’t even an option in the settings to turn down music meaning there is literally no music. All you hear are the sound effects of the hose running, water splashing, and the ambiance of the environment around you. Is this a peaceful setup? Sure, but is it an entertaining setup? Not really, and that’s what makes this decision bold.

Replayability

As long as you are enjoying yourself or are looking to have a relaxing game session with a friend, then this game is always going to be replayable. You can revisit any level you’ve completed before in either the stress-free mode of Free Play or the time-rushed Challenge mode. There are even special places to visit with the latest being the new Tomb Raider mansion. This game definitely hosts a reasonable amount of replayability.

What It Could Have Done Better

Relaxing simulator games are always better with music that fits the chill atmosphere. I would have enjoyed some tunes to go with my various jobs. I don’t work in silence at my real day job, so why would I want to be in silence during my fun job?

The controls either weren’t ready to go out or they need a lot more control options in the settings. The speed that is good for my nozzle control makes my player speed incredibly slow and I shouldn’t have to sacrifice one for the other.

Verdict

PowerWash Simulator is great on any platform! While I do find my ongoing slow turning speed to be a little annoying, it is worth it for full control over the nozzle itself and that is where the heart of the game is. Cleaning vehicles and buildings to be shiny and colorful once more is an experience that you can never tell would be as relieving as it turns out to be. The concept is straightforward, the job is necessary, and the game is fun. Definitely a title I would recommend, even if not on the Nintendo Switch.

PowerWash Simulator is now available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.