A couple of years ago I reviewed a game called PowerWash Simulator.  It’s a game where you use a power washer to hose down all sorts of things.  Yeah they’ll make a game out of anything nowadays, won’t they?  But since it is a video game, they got pretty imaginative with it, and you could download all sorts of DLC to power wash things like Final Fantasy 7 vehicles, Lara Croft’s mansion from Tomb Raider, Back to the Future vehicles, SpongeBob’s neighborhood, and Shrek’s swamp.  All of those are cool and all, but it wasn’t enough to make me want to get them and play the game again.  That is, until recently when they added a Wallace and Gromit pack.  So I caved in and had to review it.  Wallace’s inventions have made a mess of his house and machines, so he invents the WashLad to clean things up!  The DLC and the game are available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.

Gameplay is pretty much like the main thing.  Use the buttons on the control to spray water and clean up everything.  You can switch nozzles, crouch and jump, pick up ladders and stools, switch to aim mode, and more!  My only problem is that since you use every button on the controller, sometimes I would forget what which button does.  But that just may be me.  To finish one job and move onto the other, you must clean everything 100 percent in that stage.  It’s a bit frustrating because they’re so nitpicky, but you can push a button to highlight the dirt, and view a menu where you can see what needs to be cleaned.

So let’s go over what you can clean. I have to say that the makers of this game must be real fans of the series, as they make lots of references to every short and movie!  First, Wallace’s chef machine from Cracking Contraptions goes haywire and covers the whole living room and kitchen with filth.  Just mind the train going around the floor, just like it does in The Wrong Trousers.  Then you go outside and wash the front of his house and yard.  You’ll see Gromit’s doghouse, a reformed Preston the robot dog, and make sure to flip the driveway pond around to wash the other side, too.  Then it’s back to the basement where you’ll be washing one of Wallace’s biggest inventions, the Knit-O-Matic from A Close Shave.  Then it’s back outside to wash some of their vehicles, like their Top Bun delivery van from A Matter of Loaf and Death, the Soccamatic from Cracking Contraptions, techno trousers from The Wrong Trousers, and Gromit’s motorcycle sidecar/biplane.  Finally, you’ll go to the moon to wash their rocket from A Grand Day Out, as well as a picnic and even the coin-op cooker robot!  So yeah, quite a lot of stuff!  I’d say this is probably more than most other DLC packs!

Aside from the persnickety game clear requirements and controls, the only other problem I had with this one is they could’ve done a little bit better with the theme.  For instance, you only get texts from Wallace as you play.  Why not have his voice, too?  And maybe some music from the series would’ve been nice.  But otherwise, this is a neat little DLC pack for Wallace and Gromit fans like myself.

Kid Factor

Nothing violent or objectionable here.  Although you should probably tell your kids never to use a power washer inside the house!  But kids do like to use tools just like Mommy and Daddy, so they may find some fun with this.  Reading skill is helpful for the text and younger gamers may need help with the controls and picky game clear requirements. I wish they would have a ‘kids mode’ that would be more lenient about that.  But oh well.   PowerWash Simulator: Wallace & Gromit Special Pack is rated E for Everyone.

Tags: Game Reviews, Movies with Children, Television