The Farming Simulator series is not the type of game that you “finish” in a certain number of hours and that’s it. I would rather call it a virtual lifestyle because developing a virtual farm requires every free moment in the coming months and even years. Some people might turn it on “for a while” to play farmer, but you definitely don’t hear much about them. Like most complex simulations, this is a game for people who can fully devote themselves to their passion – in this case, farming.
Probably for this reason, each part of Farming Simulator is a small evolution of the previous one. For someone playing it for the first time, there are only a few novelties, but for fans there are tons of small changes and fixes that they notice with pixel precision. Many of the new elements are often implementations of mechanics from the most popular mods created by the gaming community.
This time is no different. Farming Simulator 25 is a slightly improved successor to FS19, still not very accessible to beginners. You can notice slightly improved graphics, new visual effects, new crops and machines, the inclusion of several modes and many small changes. This time the main thematic focus is on Asia and the new map in that region, although numerous minor additions somewhat overshadow it.
Traditionally, Farming Simulator 25 lets you play as a farmer on three maps. The first takes us to the United States, to a place called Riverbend Springs. The second is Zielonka in Poland, known from the FS19 DLC, and the third is the announced Hutan Pantai in Asia. On the first, the main novelty is the river crossing the map. Zielonka is only slightly modified, so the main novelty is the Asian map.
However, it seemed to me to be just a cosmetic addition that sets the scene for a much bigger attraction, which is the cultivation of rice – one of the most anticipated crops among fans. Along with the two types of rice, there were also special machines for planting and harvesting, as well as the possibility of flooding the rice field with water to grow “wet” rice. The rest of the Asian ambience, such as the architecture of the buildings or the abandoned city center with tall buildings full of neon lights, seems a bit lacking in detail and style.
Another new Asian feature is the water buffalo, a new addition to the farm animal lineup. Its biggest advantage is the production of buffalo milk and the possibility of making extremely profitable Mozzarella from it. All this is just an introduction to a much longer list of additions and improvements.
The most noticeable change is the improvements in the graphics engine. Calling it a “next-gen” version might be too much, but the visual effects are certainly improved with better lighting, especially at night, and the addition of fog effects that descend on fields, bodies of water and lowlands in the morning. Also added are extreme weather effects, such as hail or tornadoes, which can potentially destroy crops and thus affect the farm’s economy. Rain and the effect of wet tires are now visible on machines that realistically collect dirt from the terrain.
The graphic novel includes the long-awaited three-dimensional terrain, and it must be admitted that this deformation mechanism is much more complex than it seemed to me after watching the trailer. Depending on the machine we use to cross the field, furrows of different thickness are created. Tractor tire tracks are created in a similar way. The depth of the deformed terrain also depends on the softness of the soil. Best of all, these deeper grooves actually affect object physics. Attempting to quickly drive the tractor over plowing causes visible shaking and jumping of the vehicle. However, I didn’t manage to get stuck in the ground when turning the wheels – maybe in time such an option will be available.
All these changes are not only pleasing to the eye, but above all increase realism and improve immersion. They are much more important than new plants to grow or maps.
In addition to the changes in graphics and ground physics, I liked other new features. The first is the offspring of animals and dynamic stables. Different stages of animal maturity are now present in the game, and the sight of playful young goats, a new addition after the buffalo, can bring joy even after serious damage to the field. This is not just a cosmetic change because animals can now reproduce, so our herd will increase only if we provide the right conditions. It’s a pity that the option of choosing a gender was not added when buying animals. Another useful change is the possibility of freely marking the fence for grazing or even its complete removal.
The vehicles are finally equipped with a GPS module, which enables more efficient cultivation of the fields. The tractor can now maintain a straight line, and we can see which row to set after turning, which we have to do ourselves. However, GPS doesn’t just help us; it also improves the work of AI-controlled workers. Now we can choose the most irregularly shaped field, and the AI should be able to do work on it without getting stuck all the time.
Farming Simulator 25 has also been improved with new buildings and structures that allow you to stay in your own small ecosystem or, on the contrary, expand your settlement on the map. In addition to building large processing plants costing hundreds of thousands, we can now set up small mills, wool processing businesses and similar facilities on the edge of our mini-farm, and then set up a roadside stand to sell the produce. The game also has an option to build your own house, which you can finally enter, but you can’t decorate it to your liking. On the map we will also find public buildings that, with the regular delivery of the necessary materials, will be turned into a church, museum or playground.
The list of new game features can be expanded – including TPP camera outside the machine, spinach, peas and beans among the crops, and so on. However, not all things are fixed and not everything is done to be highly praised. Object collision physics are still severely flawed, meaning loading pallets can be a real pain. Vehicles tend to get stuck or even become “glued” to various objects, and trams, once stopped, seem to be welded to the road and cannot move. You have to use the “reset” option too often to free the machine, which then teleports to the starting point instead of next to the blockade, forcing you to waste time going back. There are quite a few annoying annoyances and various minor bugs.
The big disappointment is the NPC characters you can talk to – they don’t add much to the game. Theoretically, I can help you and give you advice, but the text is as vaguely written as the instructions in the menu. The game still seriously lacks a proper tutorial on all topics – we only have an introduction that explains the fairly obvious fielding mechanics. You have to figure out for yourself how to prepare cow feed and deliver it, or how to use GPS to work.
Any statement about Farming Simulator 25, whether it’s just a slightly upgraded version of the old game with a few mods or introduces significant changes and new features that effectively motivate players to upgrade to the latest installment, will be true. At the end of the day, it all depends on your expectations and how big a fan you are of running a virtual farm. Compared to previous releases, this is definitely the best, but the same was true for Farming 22 and FS19. Farming Simulator 25 is a bit like the latest iPhone – no extravagance, no revolution, a slightly improved, familiar product for regular customers. If you’re one of them, you probably already have a pre-order. And if you haven’t – there is reason to complain. That’s how it is on the farm – either harvest, or drought, or frost.
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