PowerWash Simulator Review: Now you’re playing with power(wash simulator)
PowerWash Simulator was definitely one of my Top Ten games of 2022 for its addicting gameplay that soothed, not stressed. In fact, it was one of the few games that I bought in Early Access at full price, which, considering my backlog is thousands of titles deep, is not something that I particularly needed to do. But all it took was one look at Markiplier scrubbing down a Mars rover to know that I was gonna need this game ASAP, and as the games in my backlog heaved a collective sigh, I ultimately poured over 80 hours into the PC version of PowerWash Simulator. It isn’t revolutionary gameplay but hot damn is it fun.
I say all this to preface what I’m about to discuss regarding the Switch version of PowerWash Simulator — namely, that I don’t think it translated perfectly to the hybrid console, but it was still an enjoyable romp to be had overall.
PowerWash Simulator is exactly what it sounds like — you have a powerwasher (pressurewasher if we’re being precise) and you have a series of extremely dirty jobs that require your expertise. Cars, houses, skate parks, temples, motorcycles, playgrounds, RVs, public restrooms, helicopters, mansions, pennyfarthings, giant shoes in the middle of the forest — you name it, you wash it. For some reason, your neck of the woods (appropriately named Muckingham) has areas that are completely covered in a sort of sooty dirt, and it’s up to brave powerwashers such as yourself to clean up the town and make it sparkling once more.
Controls were gonna make or break the Switch version of PowerWash Simulator, and as much as I got sucked into this port, I have a few qualms I’d like to address. For one, although the dev team tried their best, it is infinitely easier and more rewarding to play this with a mouse and keyboard. You can mess with the controller sensitivity in the settings menu — thank goodness — but there’s still something lacking when it comes to precision. Secondly, why is there no touch screen capability? It’s always a bit of frustration to play games that don’t take advantage of the console’s touch screen — if not for the actual game mechanics, then at least for the menu. Third, picking up tools is a struggle for some reason, as you have to stand in a very specific spot before the button to pick up a tool will pop up. Again, it’s one thing to do this on PC, but with the somewhat janky controls on console this ended up being more of an effort than it needed to be.
Qualms aside, PowerWash Simulator on Switch did have its shining moments. I did love that I could pick it up and play it any time I wanted to; if I needed to put it down for whatever reason, the Switch just went into sleep mode while I did my thing, allowing me to come back to PowerWash Simulator right where I left it. On PC, I always felt like I had to set aside a massive chunk of time to play a level or two, whereas the Switch version defintely feels more approachable for short bursts. Additionally, the Switch version at launch and the PC version at launch are pretty different in the sense that the PC had to work up to what the Switch port started out as. So, so, so much content has been added on over the years, and I’m sure more is on the way, so if you’re wondering about what you’re gonna get for your money, it’s a LOT of game.
My verdict for the Switch version of PowerWash Simulator is pretty simple: if you don’t have any other way to play PowerWash Simulator, just grab it. If you have the PC version already, PowerWash Simulator on the Switch is still a fun experience, albeit a different one. Maybe the controls won’t bother you as much, or maybe you want to play with friends and family on a console they likely have. In sum, if you don’t mind controller inputs for what was very clearly originally a mouse and keyboard game, you can do a lot worse than PowerWash Simulator.
PowerWash Simulator is one of the best in its genre; despite this, it continually gets better. Although the PC version with a mouse and keyboard offers more precision, the Switch version takes the pressure of finishing an entire job in one sitting off players. If you’ve always been curious about PowerWash Simulator but don’t have a PC (or the time to devote several hours to a single job), the Switch version of PowerWash Simulator cleans up nicely.
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
Available on: PC, PS4, PS5, XBox One, XBox Series X|S, Switch (Reviewed); Publisher: Square Enix; Developer: Futurlab; Players: 1-6; Released: January 31, 2023; MSRP: $24.99
Full disclosure: This review is based on a copy of PowerWash Simulator provided by the publisher.
