2 | Game, Complain, Repeat

As a cynical, disgruntled, possibly demented gamer, clinging to my 30’s like cat to the curtains, there are few things in this life that provide me with genuine childlike joy. A beautiful, sun drenched weekend. Discovering the last chocolate digestive in a tin full of malted milks. Watching an infant run full pelt into a lamppost. So satisfying. But getting excited about new games is an even more sparse occurrence. Yet the announcement of a sequel to the most based, dad game ever made in “Powerwash Simulator” is genuinely exciting. I’ve already discussed the euphoric satisfaction I get from cleaning the various households, skateparks, aquariums, lunar modules and indeed ancient temples, etched with arcane hieroglyphics and murals that depict some kind of prophetic Power Washing Deity! But the prolific diversity that the developers have presented through the levels is one of the series most defining attributes.

Aside from the projects featured in the main game, some which take minutes, whereas others may require hours of intense yet soothing work, the way they have expanded this curiously grubby world with both free and paid DLC is simply magnificent! From “Tomb Raider” to the newly released “Wallace & Gromit” DLC, everything they add is both compelling and genius. For example the “Back To The Future” DLC allows you to cleanse the DeLorean, the cinema featuring Jaws 19 and the clock tower. All heavily nostalgic as well as rewarding to clean. But that creative fervor doesn’t stop with the paid DLC either. Their free Christmas updates, whereby you douse Santa’s suspiciously grimey workshop or clean the detritus in an ice rink. There are so many different surfaces that elicit this odd sort of dopamine kick from cleaning. Even the frustration you elicit from that one veiled spot of dirt that you simply cannot find, isn’t enough to dampen the pleasure you get from gaining 100% completion.

It’s difficult to express to someone that has never played “PowerWash Simulator”, just how much contentment you get from cleaning these absurdly dirty locations. I’m sure there is some deep psychological reasoning why this game provokes such a vehemence from what in reality would be considered a mundane task. One to be avoided. Personally I think it’s a more realistic interpretation of being a superhero. You arrive at a location or property, task with cleaning an insurmountable amount of dirt. Armed with just a Powerwash, hose extensions and accessories. An unlimited supply of water and moral duty, to rid this excursed filth from these facilities, with expert precision and poise. But also getting well paid to do so. “Thank you Powerwash Man/Women/disembodied hand/Alien?. You’re the greatest!”

I cannot wait for Powerwash Simulator 2!

Gaming has always provided a dissociative reprieve from the rigours of social or political infringement. Its escapism at its most embellished. In the early days things were much simpler: vague, blob like pixels could be manipulated from one side of the screen to the other, perhaps strafing over nebulous blurs that gradually lurch towards you. But with the advancements in technology and pursuit of mature orientated narratives, game’s have exceeded these primitive facilities, becoming much more influential means of entertainment. With games focused on historical conflicts like World War II for instance, you have to be mindful of balancing the real world themes with the engaging, almost glamorised depiction of it.

Whether we want to admit it or not, game’s have an obligation to convey cultures, social issues, ethnicity and historic periods in a considerate and equitable manner. Sure, the fundamental priority is to entertain. If you have a game like Tetris, I don’t believe the “L” shaped blocks stance on abortion is really a required narrative attachment. Game’s provide a fertile ground to explore all manner of themes that television and especially movies are too creatively sterile to represent.

Take the last of Us II for instance, a game that has garnered a coalesce of virulent controversy that I have ever seen against a computer game. A lingering resentment that still reverberates across social media as a way of gauging the comparable quality of another forum of entertainment and the subjective views surrounding them. For instance measuring the egregious standard of the final season of Game Of Thrones to that of the Last Of Us II. For the longest time I avoided NaughtyDogs much maligned sequel because of the the verbal convulsions instigated by those berating the game as either “woke” or “progressive”. Having played it though, it’s difficult to identify the anything related to either of these statements.

Is it the lesbian relationship? Is it swift, brutal execution of a main character? The buff physique of a Abby? I’m not sure where the outrage lies, but a game that deals with themes of abandonment, paternal loss and sexuality, having openly gay character pitted against someone justified in their lust for vengeance is to me, representation done right. That’s not to say the story doesn’t have issues, I certainly don’t think it’s as cohesive as the first. And Neil Druckmann does comes across as a pandering narcissist, preaching ineffective moralising for the purpose of sounding profound. And someone that believes he is a auteur of gaming story telling. He is a competent story teller, encompassing a great many talent that bolster his “vision”. But in my opinion, there’s very little here that warrants such universal vitriol.

I’m not in any position to demand what developers should do. To dictate the message, if any, they are attempting to present. I’d rather play a game that is inclusive, and not be bludgeoned over the head with it. But just because such social issue’s aren’t prevalent concerns for me, shouldn’t negate there significance to others. Representation matters and it’s hard to feel aggrieved or persecuted by the “prejudice” of being a straight white male. If you can weave these themes into a story without out it feeling forced, then why shouldn’t you?