In a crossover no one saw coming, PowerWash Simulator is getting a free, Tomb Raider-themed add-on to coincide with its upcoming release on the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation systems.
Square Enix Collective, the publisher behind PowerWash Simulator; FuturLab, the simulation game's developer; and Crystal Dynamics, the current developer of the Tomb Raider series, announced the PowerWash Simulator/Tomb Raider collab in an official statement. The Tomb Raider Special Pack will be available to all PowerWash Simulator players starting Tuesday, Jan. 31 -- the same day the game releases for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. "Creating the Tomb Raider Special Pack has been an honor and a fantastic experience," said Dan Chequer, Lead Designer at FuturLab. "We can't wait for players to get up close and personal with Croft Manor and explore its many secrets!"
"What Tomb Raider fan hasn't explored Croft Manor and thought, 'Winston could really use some help with these grounds! I would love to power wash this place!'? Now, with the help of Square Enix Collective and FuturLab that's not only possible, but immensely satisfying as well," added Dallas Dickinson, Franchise General Manager for Tomb Raider at Crystal Dynamics.
"We know the community wants more to clean, and I'm delighted we're able to kick off our post-release plans in style with this Tomb Raider collaboration," said Phil Elliott, studio head at Square Enix Collective. "We've had so much great support from players, press and content creators, and we wanted to do something special to say thank you!"
PowerWash Simulator and Tomb Raider Collide
Developer FuturLab and publisher Square Enix Collective's PowerWash Simulator initially launched for the Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Microsoft Windows in July 2022. The game puts players in charge of a small power washing business, where they can take and complete jobs from various clients to earn more money and improve their equipment. The title received generally favorable review from critics, who praised its laid-back gameplay.
Meanwhile, Tomb Raider has a rich history dating back to the original action-adventure game from 1996, which was developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. Following Core Design's initial entries in the series, Crystal Dynamics took over to develop such Eidos-published titles as Tomb Raider: Legend (2006), Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007) and Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008). More recently, however, Crystal Dynamics developed the first two entries in the Tomb Raider franchise's Survivor trilogy, which was published by Square Enix Europe. (Square Enix acquired Eidos in 2009.)
Square Enix Europe's Tomb Raider trilogy began with Crystal Dynamics' 2013 game, simply titled Tomb Raider, which served to reboot the franchise's continuity. Crystal Dynamics returned to develop a sequel, Rise of the Tomb Raider, which released in 2015. Developer Eidos-Montréal then closed out the Survivor trilogy with Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which Square Enix Europe published in 2018. In 2022, Embracer Group acquired both Crystal Dynamics and the Tomb Raider franchise (among other assets) from Square Enix. Crystal Dynamics is set to develop the next main-series entry in the franchise, which will be published by Amazon Games.
Developed by FuturLab and published by Square Enix Collective, PowerWash Simulator is available now for PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The game releases for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on Jan. 31.
Source: Square Enix; YouTube