It's an October morning. I just loaded all my chicken eggs into a trailer hitched to my old van, and I have a little room left to squeeze a few pallets of tomatoes fresh out of the greenhouse. Some hired laborers stage vehicles and equipment near fields in preparation for harvest. The fields will rest for the winter, making way for planting oats and soybeans in the spring.
This is my own little part of the small town in the American Midwest that is Elm Creek, one of three base maps in the latest edition of the farming simulation Farming Simulator 22.
If you've played other games in the series, you'll be familiar with the game loop above: harvesting, field preparation, planting, field tending, and re-harvesting. But unlike previous iterations of the franchise, Farming Simulator 22 has made some improvements with the addition of seasonal crop planning, new equipment options, production chains, and numerous tweaks to existing systems.
Although it is a simulation game, the farming, forestry and herding are still simplified enough not to be as laborious as before, but still reasonably authentic in real life practice.
Farming Simulator 22 review: bountiful harvest
What is immediately noticeable is how much more lifelike and realistic everything is in Farming Simulator 22. This is because of new engine upgrades to lighting, shaders, volumetric shadows and particle effects systems, the latter of which makes plowing a field of dirt or watching hay load into a dazzling forage cart. Fields and crops look beautiful, and their 3D effect is more pronounced than before.
While playing the Upper Bayleron map I came across a cornfield that looked so realistic it reminded me of a summer night around the campfire with a cornfield at a throw Stone. The corn even 'waved' as the breeze passed, and it's those cherished moments that really stand out.
Textures as a whole have received a facelift from previous iterations of Farming Simulator and are now much more detailed; it's hard not to give each of the over 100 vehicles and pieces of gear a first visit to see their bells and whistles. So much work has been done to make everything as realistic as possible.
The sound design has also seen some particularly noticeable improvements, especially if you're wearing headphones. The first time you turn on the Claas Axion 960 tractor, the powerful diesel engine has a wonderful bass hum, and depending on where you are, the vehicle sounds are different.
Parking tractors in a garage produces echoes not found in a field, recreating the feeling of actually pulling such machines in an enclosed space. However, there is a strict boundary between the sound of open space and that of closed space, where the transition is very abrupt and noticeable.
While some work can be done with the sound design in future iterations, Farming Simulator 22 is a step in the right direction, and fans will really appreciate the time and attention devoted to improving immersion. in these areas.
The seasons mod in Farming Simulator 19 has been a game changer for many, especially when it comes to immersion. In fact, the mod was so popular that Giants made the mechanic a core feature for Farming Simulator 22.
Seasons gives players structure and better planning abilities for planting cycles in FS19, but the way it's implemented in FS22 might need some tweaking in future updates and patches. Right now, Seasons just isn't that much fun. While, for example, the previous mod allows spring wheat and winter wheat - giving you the option to sow and harvest a field twice a year - there is currently no way to do this in the FS22 base game.
However, there are plenty of newly added crops to plant, raise, and harvest. Olives, grapes, sorghum, and greenhouse crops give Farming Simulator 22 more options than ever and players with many new possibilities. Not only are some of these cultures fun to play, but they add new strategies to the game and look great.
Olives have been a personal favorite; I like the look of the aligned rows (although planting them can be a pain as the fields are not sown like other crops but placed via the build menu). Aside from the different methods of caring for the olives in the field, the actual harvest is amazing and really punctuates how the actual farmers use the same technology to harvest the crop.
Between crop care, there's plenty to keep you busy in Farming Simulator 22.
My farm is primarily designed as a dairy farm (with chickens), so many of my crops are designed to keep them fed and happy. I then use the newly added production line system to refine milk and eggs into cheese and butter which can then be used to make things like cakes in the bakery production building or sold in one many outlets.
Production Lines, also a previously popular mod, is a great addition that adds a layer of planning and logistics. Gone are the days of cultivating vast fields of soybeans – a known bestseller in previous titles – to maximize income. Production chains give all crops a chance to shine and players to have higher goals for their farms. It takes time, planning and money to get into production lines, but it's a nice system that doesn't get boring.
Another addition that meets the more tedious pace of previous entries comes from improved AI assistants. These farmhands can be hired to help you with the chores of your farm, and unlike the helpers before, who could only handle basic field work tasks like plowing, planting and harvesting, the helpers of Farming Simulator 22 can do so much more.
You can now hire them to do this and deliver goods to production facilities, sell goods, and transport vehicles and equipment around the map. While you still have to load some stuff yourself, the extra help is useful if you're not playing the game's 16-player co-op mode.
Farming Simulator 22 Review – The Result
Benefits
- Impressive visuals
- Big and beautiful cards
- Active modding community
The inconvenients
- Slight audio bugs
- Seasons (optional) could use some better balancing
Farming Simulator 22 is a great game to relax. You can switch to totally easy mode and play it casually or activate all optional systems for a more authentic and challenging experience. As far as the series as a whole goes, this is the best game yet; I look forward to the next DLCs and many (many) more hours on the farm.
I also look forward to what Giants will do with community feedback in the coming months to improve the systems and mechanics of Farming Simulator 22. I look forward to seeing the amazing work the modding community will do at the over the coming months. There are many more haversts to come!
[Note: Giants Software provided the copy of Farming Simulator used for this review.]
