TheFarming Simulatorfranchise has made a name for itself as the most realistic and beautiful farming simulation game available, and the latest version,Farming Simulator 25,goes above and beyond to make it even more impressive. In each of the games, players take on the role of a farmer and get to work their fields, sell their products, maintain vehicles, and more. The virtual farming experience is deeply involved, giving realistic immersion to each player, no matter how casual or serious they want it to be.
AlthoughFarming Simulatorgames aren’t often seen to get a lot of hype, it isa series that is very well known and respectedthroughout the gaming community.Farming Simulator 25soldover 2 million copies in the first weekof its release on August 23, 2025, with sales continuing to climb. While at first glance it may appear to just be another version of the same thing, this edition includes much more than just some new tractors. From graphical updates to tornadoes,Farming Simulator 25can easily leave its predecessors in the dust.
10Two Brand New Maps, Plus One Returning Favorite
Build A Farm In East Asia, Arkansas, Or Central Europe
At launch,Farming Simulator 25has three maps available for farmers to make their mark on, anda fourth map will be arriving as DLC in the later part of 2025. Two maps, Riverbend Springs and Hutan Pantai, are new to the series, while Zielonka is making a return after having been part of a premium DLC forFarming Simulator 22. Each has their own special construction projects available, with Riverbend Springs going above and beyond by featuring four projects, including a playground.
Riverbend Springs
Arkansas, United States
Ferry boat on a large river, Historical Wagon Builder, Toy Builder, Playground, and Grain Elevator Museum construction projects.
Cherry blossom trees and a Temple Ground construction project.
Zielonka
Central Europe
Previously included as the Premium Expansion ofFarming Simulator 22. Piano Factory construction project.
The stylized features for each map are so drastically different that they provide a varied experience for players. Late in 2025,a fourth map will be added, with the teaser phrase of “The Stars Align"being the only current hint as to what it will be. Players who purchase the Year 1 Season Pass forFarming Simulator 25will automatically get the new map when it becomes available.
9Better Graphics For Lighting, Reflections, And Overall Greater Detail
Making A Beautiful Game Even More Immersive
Naturally, a new game in a series must have updated graphics, whichFarming Simulator 25does with improved lighting and reflections, and greater detail. There are noticeable graphical enhancements whether it iscompared toFarming Simulator 23,which was only available for the Nintendo Switch and mobile platforms, or its more direct predecessor,Farming Simulator 22, which was released on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Many of thegraphical enhancements are due to the use of a new game engine at its core, which provides considerably higher quality for visuals. A new User Interface was also added to the game to provide a more user-friendly experience.
8Farm Shops And Production Chains
Farmers Markets Or Small Farm Stalls Are Among The Ways To Sell Goods
After the farmers grow their crops, they need to have a way to make money off of them. For a cozy, personal touch,farmers can build their own farm shop stall at the side of the roadin the country or a larger shed version on the farm itself. Filling these little stalls adds a bit more of a personal touch, although selling to the larger companies is still generally a necessity for financial reasons. Another option is to take goods to the local Farmer’s Market. This allows for larger supplies than the small farm stalls do, and can provide produce for the local businesses.
In the Hutan Pantai map, shops will remain fully closed if the farmer does not deliver their goods in time.
Of course, there are still the massive distribution chains where players can sell their goods to, with large manufacturing plants. This is similar to how things were handled in previous games, but with new factories such as the cement factory.
7GPS Steering Assistant and Improved AI Workers
Every Vehicle Has A Steering Assist Option With Guiding Lines
ForFarming Simulator 25, the system behind the AI workers that farmers can hire has been improved to make them more capable and intelligent in their work. A special menu for AI settings can provide more customization to help farmers tell their workers exactly what needs to be done, including where they should start, so they do not end up destroying crops.
In the same menu, players can choose the Steering Assist tab to provide some assistance to their own driving.Among these is the very handy option for Show Lines, which provides 3D lines on the field to help players stay in a straight pattern while they are driving. This will also show blue lines that depict where the widest parts of the machine being driven will be, to help players not miss any areas, or inadvertently drive over crops and damage them.
6Ground Deformation Adds More Immersion To The Game
Mud, Snow, And Heavy Vehicles Can All Make A Big Mess
To make atruly realistic farming experience, a little destruction is inevitable. Even with the handy AI Assist options to show players where they are driving,sometimes those heavy machines just can’t help but cause some deep tire tracks in mud or snow. This comes from the Ground Deformation mechanic in the game, which can be turned off in the game options. For a truly immersive experience, seeing the compression of the soil occur can add a lot.
This mechanic is designed to take into account a number of factors, including the firmness of the ground, whether wet or dry, and the weight and speed of the vehicle being driven. Even the width of the tires can affect the outcome, byapplying real-world physics to the equation. Therefore, farmers may need to consider their choice of tires, vehicles, and timing carefully to prevent as much damage as possible.
5New Greenhouses, Including Dark Ones For Spongy Mushrooms
Greenhouses Are Beautiful And Let Players Do Even More On The Farm
Greenhouses aren’t new toFarming Simulatorgames, but this time they provide even more content for aspiring virtual farmers. In addition to the 25 regular crops that can be grown in the fields in their respective seasons, there are special greenhouse plants that can be grown.Garlic, chilies, spring onions, tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, and morecan all be grown in these beautiful buildings.
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From the sandbox game Littlewood to the indie hit Stardew Valley, plenty of great farming games can be found on the Nintendo Switch.
Plus, there are dark greenhouses this time around to change the mushroom production. These blacked out spaces are designed to block out the sunlight for farmers to grow a lot of spongy mushrooms.
4Farming Simulator 25 Includes Five New Crops
Including Rice Varieties Requiring Rice Paddies
After many years of players using special mods to add rice fields and rice to their games,Farming Simulator 25finally has an in-depth method of growing rice and long grain rice. Both of these crops require different water levels, machines, and more, to keep everything as realistic as possible. This crop takes quite a bit of extra equipment and prep work to get started, but at least they do not need extra fertilization like other crops do.
Players also have the option of purchasing a special Rice Greenhouse which is dedicated to rice production.
to grow either type of rice,a special dropped field is necessary for water retentionso it can be properly flooded for the crops. In the case of long grain rice, the player will want to check their water pumps daily to make sure the water is managed at the proper levels.
3Goats And Water Buffalo Join The Farm Family
And New Ways Of Customizing Animal Pens
Though animal husbandry is an entirely optional part of the game, seeing the adorable animals certainly adds a nice touch to a farm. In addition to the dog that will lazily enjoy spending time on the farm, players can raise livestock to get products from. New forFarming Simulator 25is the addition of Water Buffalo and Goats to the game. As is the case with all animals, these adorable creatures can be newborns, juveniles, and then adults, andthey will not die even if the farmer forgets to feed them.
Manure and Slurry
Water Buffalo (New)
Buffalo Milk
Farmers cancustomize their animals pensby changing the colors, adding solar panels to buildings, and drawing fences to be any shape (within reason) that the player wants. This means that rather than having specific sized layouts, these animal pens and pastures can work around obstacles and look more realistic with the environment.
2Third Person Camera Changes The Viewpoint
Better For Motion Sickness, And Finally See The Character’s Clothes
ForFarming Simulator 25, developers listened to the community feedback and made the third person view camera a base game feature for all platforms. Animations for the player character movement have also been greatly improved and smoothed out to look more realistic.
Though this may not seem like a drastic change to the game,for some players it can be revolutionary. Being able to play the game in third person can significantly reduce the possibility of motion sickness happening while either running around or driving farm equipment. Whereas previous games required modding and extensive tweaks to the field of view and other settings in order to improve this aspect, this time around it is a base game feature.
Even for those without motion sickness concerns, not only is seeing the main character a fun option, but third-person viewpoints also make for good screenshots.
1Beware Of Dangerous Weather Events Ruining Crops
Tornadoes, Hail, And Fog Bring Extreme Weather Patterns
The biggest change to this version of the game is the addition of extreme weather events. Mimicking more of the real-world possibilities, the weather isn’t simply relegated to sun, rain, and snow. This time around, there can be days withheavy fog, or more destructive forces of hail and tornadoes. Farmers will want to take precautions where possible by making sure their hay bales are covered and everything that can be secured is protected. Even being careful, there is still a very real chance of seeing damage to crops and buildings.
Unlike in real life,extreme weather events in the game do not include any risk of animals dying, thankfully.
If a player wants a calmer experience, it is possible to turn off the destruction that can be created from these weather events by toggling it in the in-game settings. However, it certainly does add another layer of realism. Combined with the new Ground Deformation, rainy thunderstorms and tornadoes can then have a side effect of prepping the soil for extra damage when the farmer drives over to check on their fields inFarming Simulator 25.
