DLC REVIEW: ‘PowerWash Simulator Midgar Special Pack’ Takes Cleaning To New Worlds (PC)

Following the recently released Tomb Raider DLC pack, the PowerWash Simulator Midgar Special Pack transports players and their PowerWash business to the world of Midgar and features some of Final Fantasy 7‘s most memorable locations. I’ll admit that I didn’t have Final Fantasy 7 on my list of potential PowerWash Simulator DLC locations, but the PowerWash Simulator Midgar Special Pack brings the satisfying art of power washing to an entirely new universe.

For those unfamiliar with PowerWash Simulator, players take control of their own PowerWash company and must complete jobs to earn cash to improve their technology. Cleaning cars and houses might sound incredibly boring, but PowerWash Simulator manages to take a chore and make it both challenging and relaxing. Seeing the dirt and grime make way for pristine, shiny surfaces is one of the most satisfying experiences in video games.

What PowerWash Simulator Midgar Special Pack does is take that same relaxing and satisfying feel and bring it to the world of Final Fantasy 7. The new missions include The Hardy Daytona and Shinra Hauler, the Scorpion Sentinel, the Seventh Heaven, the Mako Energy Exhibit, and the Airbuster. It is a healthy mix of locations and vehicles that includes both heroes and villains, and each location includes some minor story tidbits presented via text message. Those little texts make it feel so much more immersive as I was cleaning my way through Midgar. I do wish each location was matched up with the corresponding music, but I understand the licensing limitations there.

Nothing has changed with regard to gameplay here, so players are able to easily hop in without having completed other locations or campaigns in the game. Making the Midgar campaign accessible right from the start for new players is sure to help bring newcomers into the fold. It also helps that the DLC itself is completely free, a refreshing change of pace in an industry rife with extreme monetization. Being able to hop right in and start a Midgar PowerWash business is such a weird sentence to write, but boy did it feel fun to play. Taking my cleaning talents to the Seventh Heaven or trying to clean the underside of the Hardy Daytona was a challenge at times, but it was incredibly rewarding to see the locations and vehicles I know and love restored to their full glory.

The PowerWash Simulator Midgar Special Pack is a great way to bring in new players or get older players back in the cleaning action. It doesn’t seek to rewrite the formula that makes PowerWash Simulator so fun to play but instead transports that fun to a new world. The fact that it manages to do so without needing to be a corporate cash grab certainly helps. If you haven’t played PowerWash Simulator, now is the time to check it out, and if you have the game already then you definitely need to spend some time honing your cleaning technique in Midgar.

PowerWash Simulator Midgar Special Pack releases March 2nd free for owners of the base PowerWash Simulator game.