I need a compelling lead-in to this blog post to really grab the readers attention... Shit, I typed what I was thinking. Never mind.
I like to spend the colder months of the year huddled up on my couch, dedicating 100% of my free time to video games. This year, however, I’m facing a bit of a predicament:
I bought Farming Simulator 2015 shortly after its release. At the time, I wasn’t a fan of first-person games; they always felt stale, like a novelty item. Third-person games, which usually emphasized gameplay, gave me far more enjoyment. So, I played Farming Simulator 2015 for maybe 30 minutes and shelved it. The only reason I bought it in the first place was nostalgia—I’d loved John Deere American Farmer back in 2004.
Since then, though, I’ve warmed up to first-person games, especially since Satisfactory hit the scene. It’s a first-person game that focuses on gameplay and the immersive world around you, not just creating a pretty sandbox to wander around aimlessly.
I liked GTA5 too, but only as a driving simulator—the gameplay didn’t resonate with me, which I realize might be a minority opinion. I’ve always gravitated toward games rooted in real-world applications, which are easier for me to digest. I can actually imagine myself winning the lottery and using the money to build an amusement park, so games like Roller Coaster Tycoon and Planet Coaster always had major appeal. Likewise, I could picture using a lottery win to start my own farmstead, so games like Farming Simulator and Ranch Simulator pull me in, too.
Plus, I love logistics—efficiency makes life easier. The journey to that efficiency is fun in itself, which is why Factorio hooked me like few other games ever have.
So, here’s my current dilemma: do I play Satisfactory, Farming Simulator 22, or Farming Simulator 25?
After several years in Early Access, Satisfactory finally hit its 1.0 release a couple of months ago, so the game is technically complete, with tons of new content. There are new machines, new parts to manufacture, and new cosmetics to build even more intricate factories. The problem? I played Satisfactory so much during Early Access that I’m a bit burned out. The novelty has worn off, and while I tried to start a fresh save last month, frequent crashes threw me off. The bugs are probably fixed by now, but it’s tough to get back into it.
Farming Simulator 22 is the game that shifted my opinion on first-person gameplay. With a ton of mods and tools like AutoDrive and Courseplay, I can truly run it as a farm simulator. Once everything’s set up, I can run my entire farm from the yard with minimal need to visit the fields. Sounds redundant? Maybe, but I love efficiency. I’ve logged over 2000 hours in this game, most of it in the first six months after buying it. It’s up there with Factorio and Satisfactory as one of my biggest obsessions.
Now, there’s Farming Simulator 25, which just launched. Here’s where things get tricky. Should I jump right in or wait a bit for the bugs to be ironed out? At $50, I’m leaning toward holding off, especially after reading some reviews. While the graphics got a solid upgrade, there are mixed opinions on the UI—likely because people are used to a certain setup, and change is hard for most.
Factorio is still going strong. They recently dropped a major DLC, Space Age, introducing tons of new features and worlds to explore. Honestly, they could have branded it Factorio 2 if they’d wanted. But, like Satisfactory, I’ve played Factorio in so many ways, across so many hours, that I find myself struggling to start fresh yet again.
Typically, by the first week of November—which also happens to be my birthday week—I’ve already picked my winter game and committed to it. But this year, I’m having a hard time deciding. Once I commit, I go all in, setting everything else aside and immersing myself completely. It’s not just a great escape; it’s a money saver, too. Instead of going out, I’ll be glued to my screen.
Maybe I’ll try a hybrid approach this winter—rotate between games or test out some newer ones while still keeping up with my websites. I’d planned to set all my sites aside until spring, but perhaps I could switch it up daily. Plus, I could use Wisedocks to write some game reviews, either of games I’m currently trying or my extensive library of past favorites.
I’ll keep an eye on Farming Simulator 25 reviews to see if the criticism is just the usual early complaints. If it looks stable, I might just jump right in.
