German gamers love simulators and agriculture. This is also shown by the outstanding success of LS25 on Steam.
Which game is it about? The Farming Simulator 25 (short LS) is currently the top seller on Steam in Germany, surpassing games like Counter-Strike 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Throne and Liberty, and Warframe (as of November 15, 2024, 09:00).
The game was released on November 12, 2024, and just a few hours after its launch, it recorded 126,000 concurrent players on Steam. No Farming Simulator has ever been more successful on Steam. The previous peak of 105,000 players was held by its predecessor, the Farming Simulator 22.
LS25 is now the first new installment in the popular simulation series after a 3-year break. The previous player record from LS22 was also set shortly after its release in November 2021.
Here you can watch a trailer for the new Farming Simulator:
Record despite struggling reviews
Although the Farming Simulator 25 was able to attract thousands of players on Steam right at release, over 30% of them are not convinced by the quality of the simulation. Out of more than 4,600 reviews, about 1,400 negative ratings emerged (via Steam).
What do the players say? On one hand, the Farming Simulator 25 impresses with its graphics, which are said to be a bit more beautiful compared to its predecessor. On the other hand, there is criticism regarding the game’s performance and the number of bugs.
Additionally, the variety of playable models is criticized. The forestry aspect is also said to not meet the expectations of many players. Another problem is the character’s movements, which reportedly look very sluggish.
Overall, some players complain that LS25 should have rather been a DLC for LS22 given its current scope. Generally, the game seems to some like a reskin with partially fewer contents. Here many players hope for good mod support from the community.
If you are also interested in other simulations aside from Farming Simulator, the upcoming game inZOI might appeal to you. It is a life simulation that could serve as an alternative to The Sims: In inZOI you can decide which animals roam the park, and all of this without DLC
