When I first heard about PowerWash Simulator, I thought it would be in the same vein as a lot of those simulators, which are fun for about a minute and then never to be touched again. So, I had never picked it up on consoles. When the VR version got announced, I thought the same thing but decided why not review and see what all the fuss was about. Weirdly enough, I have found my new Zen game in PowerWash Simulator VR.
The story within PowerWash Simulator VR is basically nil. You are trying to get a start in the power wash business, so you start by power washing a van. As you complete the job, you are offered more strenuous jobs with more complex cleaning needs. It is very bare-bones, but when it boils down to it, the story isn’t overly critical when you come into a simulation game.
The gameplay needs to be the centrepiece and more than just a one-trick pony. In PowerWash Simulator VR, you’ll be performing one task: cleaning. Your primary tool is the power washer held in whichever hand you prefer, and a belt strapped around you to house all your nozzles, cleaners, and extensions. At first glance, it seemed pretty shallow. But the more I cleaned, the more I took to understand the importance of different nozzles, cleaners, and even extensions.
That’s not to say if you don’t master it, you’ll be stuck. All these tools only aid your job in cleaning the environment faster and more efficiently. You start with enough nozzle variations to get any job done. From a focused blast to various amounts of spread nozzles that you, in all reality, will not need to upgrade anything.
But, if you put the time in to get everything clean, you’ll end up with vast amounts of money to upgrade your gear. This varies from extenders that allow you to powerwash further without needing to move to different types of nozzles, like one that sprays in a straight line but slightly moves around wildly, helping to get into the nooks and crannies. Along with upgrades, you will be able to purchase cleaners that work on certain surfaces, which again only eases the experience and speeds up the process.
“Satisfaction is the name of the game in PowerWash Simulator VR.”
You’ll eventually earn enough stars by particular percentages of levels to unlock better power washers. These, again, just aid in making cleaning easier by pushing the output of force behind the washer even further. This also means you can go back and complete jobs faster. Does this come with any rewards? Nope, but it is satisfying.
Satisfaction is the name of the game in PowerWash Simulator VR. As the textures are incredibly detailed in the environment, the dirt physics itself isn’t amazing. But the way you can just wash away the dirt, there is something immensely satisfying about it. And there will be levels that take you 30 minutes, like cleaning a bike or van. All the way to multi-hour cleans that’ll have you cleaning entire backyards.
But the thing is, you can just quit whenever and come back to it. It’s because of this that PowerWash Simulator VR has become almost zen-like in its level progression. Something to pop on and zone out for thirty minutes and just wash the dirt and mould away. It’s magical.
“PowerWash Simulator VR isn’t going to be a game for everyone, but it knows its audience, and its audience knows them.”
There were a few issues that were presented in my time with PowerWash Simulator VR. The soundscape, the tool belt, and how some surfaces show dirt. The tool belt doesn’t feel great to use in VR, as you have to twist it around to make use of it. Instead, I just use menuing to attach cleaners and stuff because it feels better. The way the dirt shines on some surfaces when you press the show me the dirt button is sometimes impossible to see. Even highlighting the surface in the menu is hard to see sometimes.
Then, the soundscape is nothing except the solid, constant sound of the power washer. If hearing rain or a waterfall makes you have to pee, stay far, far away. I could have done with some light environmental music, even something in the vein of Minecraft music.
There are a multitude of modes present in PowerWash Simulator VR. Your campaign mode can be played with 1–2 people, a free roam mode that can have up to four people playing, and a more rushed challenge mode where you race the clock to clean. I would have loved to try the multiplayer mode during my review time with the game because nothing sounds more fun than just hanging out with friends in VR and cleaning. While that sounds sarcastic, I promise you it is not.
Overall, PowerWash Simulator VR isn’t going to be a game for everyone, but it knows its audience, and its audience knows them. Between solid gameplay loops and a zen-like experience, PowerWash Simulator VR will long be a staple of the Meta Quest 3.
