Farming Simulator 25 is the latest in the agricultural simulator series. The first was released in 2008 and since that time there have been many other versions released across many different platforms including mobile. Farming Simulator 25 offers several features that are new to the series while also offering the gameplay that has made the series popular over the years.
The Background
I started playing the Farming Simulator series in the 13 years ago with Farming Simulator 2011. Having worked with my grandfather on his farm during summers while growing up, I was attracted to the many types of farm equipment included in the game as well as the relaxing gameplay which was a break from the other types of video games I usually played. Since that time, I have played all of the series that were available on either PC or Xbox consoles, putting in many hours of cultivating fields, planting seeds, fertilizing, harvesting, and then selling my crops so I could buy more fields and better equipment.
Farming Simulator 25 is designed and publishedb y GIANTS Software which also designed all of the other versions. Farming Simulator 25 is available for PC, Mac, XBox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and ranges in price from $49.99 for PC to $59.99 for console. The game can also be purchased digitally on Steam as well as from the XBox and Playstation stores. A season pass is available which adds access to three future DLC packs as well as one even larger expansion, with each released quarterly.
Game Features
There is a lot to Farming Simulator 25, so let’s break it up into categories and take a look at each one individually.
Equipment
Packed with horsepower and authenticity, Farming Simulator 25 features more than 400 machines & items from over 150 top international brands including the John Deere S700 Series combine harvester with up to 625 hp, or the Case IH Steiger 715 Quadtrac with the power of 778 horses under the bright red hood. Not only do these tractors and equipment look great with lots of detail, GIANTS Software’s sound department greatly enhanced the audio aspect with real-time sound transformations responding to the environment, and even more mechanical details like moving lids, bolts and a lot of hydraulic components making noise. If you can’t afford the equipment you want, you can always lease it for a limited amount of time to take care of a job. Taking on contracts for other farmers is not only a great way to make some extra income, but each contract also offers the ability to borrow tractors and equipment necessary for the task for a slightly reduced fee at the end of the contract. This is a great way to try out different types of machinery. For example, I only had fields of grain early on in my career. However, a contract to harvest cotton came up so I was able to borrow the specialized requirement for the task and got to experience harvesting cotton while getting paid to do it.
Farming
Farming Simulator 22 added grapes, olives and sorghum to the list of crops you can grow. Farming Simulator 25 has added even more new crops including spinach, peas, rice, and long grain rice. Grains have always been the staple of the Farming Simulator series. In addition to sorghum, you can also grow wheat, barley, oats, canola, and soybeans. The nice thing about growing grains is that you can use the same equipment for all six types of grains. Other types of crops such as potatoes, sugar beets, cotton, sunflowers, and corn require specialized equipment. You can even harvest lumber and plant poplars. The new crops require some additional effort. Spinach can be harvested twice a season after being sown once. However, you have to pick it as soon as it is ready and sell it immediately before it wilts. Rice and long-grain rice count as two crops with individual needs for water management and equipment for planting and harvesting. Both are planted in paddies, fields deepened for water retention. Rice requires specialized equipment for planting as well as harvesting. You can also grow some new crops in greenhouses.
Animals
Animals return to Farming Simulator 25 with cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, horses, bees and now water buffalos and goats. Cows produce milk which can be sold or turned into butter or cheese at the dairy. Wool from sheep, as well as cotton, can be sold to the spinnery to make cloth which can then be sewn into clothes at the tailor shop. Chickens produce eggs which are needed at the bakery. Bees, in addition to helping some crops increase yield due to pollination, produce honey which can sold to the cereal factory. Horses can be sold and you get a higher price if you train them by riding them around. In addition, you can use the manure from the animals for fertilizer or to sell to the biogas plant. Water buffaloes and goats produce new types of milk that can be processed and used in production chains to acquire and distribute fine cheeses. Increasing the cuteness factor and fluffiness of the fur, animals produce offspring. Wobbling on their tiny legs at first, animal farmers watch them grow into productive livestock.
Production and Construction
Production chains were a new feature in Farming Simulator 22. and they return in Farming Simulator 25. In the build mode you can purchase and place greenhouses on your property where you can grow tomatoes, strawberries and lettuce year round. You can also purchase businesses on the map that process your crops. For example, you could purchase a grain mill. Then when you take your grains there, you grind it into flour which you can sell, store for later, or distribute to a bakery. Purchase the bakery and you can send your flour there to make bread which you can then sell. The bakery can also make cakes, but you will need to also send strawberries, sugar, mil, eggs, and butter to the bakery. New production chains allow the production various profitable goods like mozzarella or goat cheese. Just about every crop has a production chain which adds even more variety to the game as well as new sources of profit.
Farmers who are particularly involved in their town’s community will find a wealth of new building opportunities. Farmhouses and barns are just a small-scale start. A local builder of historic horse-drawn carriages and a playground builder need help with their crafts in the form of supplies of wood. On a larger scale, farmers can help the local community build monuments: Asian temple grounds, a historic grain elevator in need of renovation, and a colossal playground shape an entire landscape when completed with long-term commitment.
Weather
When virtual farmers see darkening clouds in the sky, it could be a sign of some serious weather on the way. Expecting a light twister or hail to touch down in a few areas, they need to take precautions and secure any unroofed bales. While the skies will clear and the new weather events will pass, they always carry the chance of destroying a portion of fields and forests. Players can deactivate the destruction of crops if they like their yield untouched by the weather.
Game Play
As you can see, there is a lot to do in Farming Simulator 25. Veterans of the series will be able to jump right into the game with little trouble. However, for new players, the game can seem a bit daunting, especially if they have no agricultural experience. Don’t worry. GIANTS has created Farming Simulator Academy. This site offers instructions on just about everything in the game. It is currently updating for Farming Simulator 25, but most of the tutorials from before still apply.
When you first start a career, you can choose from three difficulty settings. New Farmer sets you up with some fields, equipment to grow and harvest grains, and some money in the bank. The settings are set to easy and the economy is fairly profitable. For those with some experience, you can choose Farm-Manager. You don’t start with any land or equipment, not even a pickup truck, but have quite a bit of money to start up a farm of your own. This lets you purchase the fields you want and decide if you want to begin growing something other than grain. Finally, for a greater challenge, there is Start from Scratch. Here the settings are all at realistic and the economy is tough with low prices. Plus the money you start out with is from a bank loan that you will have to pay off over time.
After choosing a difficulty, you can select from three different maps. Riverbend Springs is the North American map which is designed to reflect a US midwest rural community with a river running across the middle of the map. Zielonka is set in eastern Europe and is taking from a premium expansion to Farming Simulator 22. The final map, Hutan Pantai, is a farming community in East Asia and you start out with three rice paddies.
Finally, before you start farming, you can adjust the settings. In addition to weather and seasons, you can also turn on weeds and the need for spreading lime on your field, and whether stones appear in your fields that need to be periodically removed. Once you get into the game, you can choose to follow a brief tutorial if you are playing on New Farmer which helps you get started with running your farm.
Final Thoughts
I have been excited for the release of Farming Simulator 25. I have enjoyed playing previous releases of the series and always look for what is new in each one. Farm Simulator 25 continues to take the series to the next level. In addition to the new features I have already mentioned, one aspect really impressed me. The AI works better than ever. The types of jobs for which you can hire workers has increased and there is even a menu for controlling the hired AI workers. Before I spent a lot of time driving grain from the combine harvester to the grain mill. Now I can hire a worker and select the destination and even choose to loop the job. The worker will drive the trailer to the chosen mill, unload, and then return to the field where they started. You can also hire workers to drive your tractors and equipment around the map. Just set a destination and they will deliver your vehicles.
If you have an interest in agriculture, even if you are a city slicker, Farming Simulator 25 is a great game. The tutorials and the academy website really make the game approachable to new players and there are videos on YouTube explaining how to do just about anything in the game. There is so much to do in this game and you don’t feel like you have to do it all. I find playing Farming Simulator 25 not only entertaining, but also relaxing. The only problem is that once I start playing, it can be tough to stop. I find myself working ‘just one more field’ which then leads to another field and then I need to harvest my crop before it goes bad, forgetting that if I save the game, it will not age at all until I start it up again. So far I have put in over 65 hours and still have fun. Since I am playing with realistic seasons, I have time during the months when I am waiting for my fields to grow. During these times, I take on contracts and can make money to purchase new fields and more powerful equipment. Bale wrapping is a quick way to make some easy money and I just lease the equipment so I don’t have to purchase it. Growing rice is a new experience as you have to monitor water and interact with water valves to flood your paddies at the right time. I highly recommend Farming Simulator 25 for those who enjoy simulators, have an interest in agriculture, or even are just looking for something different from the fast-paced and violent games that are so prevalent.
Take a look at the the trailer for Farming Simulator 25.
