Farming Simulator 23
Release Date: May 23, 2023
Simulation, economic, farm, machines and equipment, singleplayer
OpenCritic
Another installment of the bestselling farming sim franchise originating from 2008. In Farming Simulator 23 we play as a farmer tasked with running our own farm. The available activities include fieldwork, animal husbandry and cutting down trees.
Farming Simulator 23 is, as the title suggests, a farming sim and the direct sequel to Farming Simulator 20 from 2019. Though it's largely based on mechanics introduced in Farming Simulator 22, it does feature some new additions of its own. The game was developed by GIANTS Software, the same studio responsible for the previous installments.
Mechanics
Farming Simulator 23 tasks us with managing and running a farm. We can devote ourselves to cultivating our land, focus on breeding animals, cut down trees or spread out across everything. The game takes place on two vast maps, Amberstone and Neubrunn, inspired by American and European terrain. As was the case in the series' ninth main installment, the game features a seasons cycle, letting the player watch these areas at different times of the year.
The player can make use of over a hundred different vehicles, machines and tools from such manufacturers as CLAAS, John Deere, Massey Ferguson or New Holland. One can also create production chains; as an example, it's possible to bake bread with flour made from self-harvested wheat, craft furniture with harvested wood or make clothes with wool sheared from our own sheep.
Speaking of animals - aside from the aforementioned sheep, players can also keep horses, pigs and chickens on their farms. As for the available crops - there are 14 types total, including new crops such as grapes, olives and sorghum. One must remember fieldwork isn't just sowing and harvesting, but also plowing and getting rid of weeds. In-between farming we can go for a walk, a horseback ride or look for collectibles.
The game also features an upgraded tutorial and AI support, as well as auto-loading for logs and pallets.
Technical aspects
The visuals of Farming Simulator 23 don't differ much from the previous installments. The game looks decent overall, with detailed vehicles and machines being especially appealing.
Videos and Screens
[1:28] Farming Simulator 23 launch trailer
[0:55] Farming Simulator 23 live action trailer
WayTooManyGames: 4.5 / 10 by Jordan Hawes
Farming Simulator 23 was clearly made for mobile in mind for the good, but mostly bad. While I can accept cut backs in complex physics and streamlined processes to make playing on a phone easier, removing a ton of the customization and economy options I don’t feel is worth that trade.
NintendoWorldReport: 4 / 10 by Matthew Zawodniak
Farming Simulator 23 is not a game for newcomers. My time playing was largely filled with confusion, and the in-game tutorials and guides do very little to point a new player in the right direction. It may appeal to core fans of the franchise since it is at least a portable version of the game, but the scaled-back features are likely to be what those players care about the most, and anyway the price tag of $45 is frankly a joke compared to the $8 this same version of the game costs on Android and iOS. Perhaps I'm wrong and there's some X factor a hardcore Farming Simulator fan can tell I'm missing, but Farming Simulator 23 is a clear non-starter for newcomers that clearly lacks plenty of content that longtime fans have come to enjoy on more powerful hardware.
Screen Rant: 3 / 5 by Rob Gordon
Overall, Farming Simulator 23 scratches the same sort of itch as previous games in the series, but it's maybe not as effective has the more substantial home releases. There's enough here for a player to initially sink their teeth into, particularly when the game's portable focus is considered, but that depth does disappear relatively quickly. Even so, there's still something deeply satisfying about its farming gameplay loop, and those after a relaxing experience will find one here.
23
GAMES
in Farming Simulator Game Series
Game Series
Farming Simulator Series
Farming Simulator (Original. Landwirtschafts-Simulator) is a series of agricultural simulation games with an extensive economic aspect, created and developed by the German studio GIANTS Software. The series is ranked among the top of the genre of simulators for working with heavy mechanical equipment. From 2012 to 2021, the publisher of the games under this banner was Focus Home Interactive (later renamed Focus Entertainment).. However, in April 2021, the studio GIANTS Software announced that from now on it will release the next parts of the series on its own.
23 video games
Farming Simulator 23 Summary
Platforms:
Android
Apple iOS
Nintendo Switch
Developer: GIANTS Software
Publisher: GIANTS Software
Age restrictions: none
