Worth getting FM22?

[dandebo]

Hi,

 

So I've played every football manager since FM12, and the original CM. And enjoyed them immensely. 

But I am struggling  to see any real difference with this update. 

Is it worth playing FM22 or is it just a tweaked FM21?

 

Cheers

[MasterKano]

Personally I regret buying it as there's very little difference between the current version and the previous and there are things that they've either failed to fix or broken entirely (in my opinion at least).

The additions of the DataHub and WCB's was enormously underwhelming, you've got to skin to fix the scouting report deficiency, and personally I'm not a huge fan of the dynamic youth player potential ability.

[FrazT]

13 minutes ago, dandebo said:

Hi,

 

So I've played every football manager since FM12, and the original CM. And enjoyed them immensely. 

But I am struggling  to see any real difference with this update. 

Is it worth playing FM22 or is it just a tweaked FM21?

 

Cheers

You will never get a consensus from the forums- try the free demo and make your own mind up is always the best advice.

[alian62]

Why ask ? There is a demo

[teej9]

Be careful with the "demo it!", this version will not be what you end up with. I tried the demo, loved it, then the December patch hit and made it a much worse and different game. The demo while you might like it will not be what you get. This year it was a bit like test driving a BMW, paying for it, then taking delivery of a 12 year old Suzuki a month later. Its still a car technically but not indicative of what you bought or test drove.  

[FrazT]

To clarify- the demo is updated to the same level as the full game, shortly after any update.

[teej9]

6 minutes ago, FrazT said:

To clarify- the demo is updated to the same level as the full game, shortly after any update.

Sorry I didn't mean to imply the demo and the game are different. The pre patch demo and game were very good. Similarly I am sure the current demo would not be enjoyable at all to me, as the game is not. The game will be altered from what you demo and buy today, sometime after the new year. So therefore, do not base any purchase off a demo until then, unless it is at the end cycle of that edition you will always be buying an unfinished product that will totally change based on ME exploits.  

[forameuss]

11 hours ago, teej9 said:

Sorry I didn't mean to imply the demo and the game are different. The pre patch demo and game were very good. Similarly I am sure the current demo would not be enjoyable at all to me, as the game is not. The game will be altered from what you demo and buy today, sometime after the new year. So therefore, do not base any purchase off a demo until then, unless it is at the end cycle of that edition you will always be buying an unfinished product that will totally change based on ME exploits.  

Yeah, totally.  Much better to form your opinion off the biased (in both directions) opinion of complete strangers, rather than trust your own opinions on a demo that for most people won't change wildly between updates.

[Metal]

Saying fm22 is a tweaked version of fm21 would be doing the latter a disservice. It's more of a  fm20 regression where you will end up frustrated more often than not with the game dynamics and decision making on the pitch. The M.E on FM21 actually made sense and players made sensible decisions and they would finish their dinner in front of goal instead shooting like sunday league amateurs against prime hybrid de gea/ Neuer every game 

Pre patch I would have said hell yeah buy it. Post patch avoid and stick to fm21 until they fix the glaring issues with the M.E otherwise you may as well play with a slot machine

[anagain]

 

16 hours ago, dandebo said:

Hi,

 

So I've played every football manager since FM12, and the original CM. And enjoyed them immensely. 

But I am struggling  to see any real difference with this update. 

Is it worth playing FM22 or is it just a tweaked FM21?

 

Cheers

Listen to the mods. Try the demo.

There are way too many firmly one way or the other viewpoints on this forum to get a fair appraisal. 

My own viewpoint is that FM22 is the same addictive gameplay as past FMs. It's not massively broken, as some will say, and it's not perfect, as much as I believe SI really do try for perfection. 

It's just FM and FM, year on year, is a fun game where you can easily get huge value for money. How many other games give 100s of hours, or even 1000s, for base price?

I think all versions have been fun and I have always said to people that if they enjoyed the last FM they played then they'll enjoy the latest. 

I love FM22 because I love FM. 

But, yeah, play the demo because your opinion is what counts. Manage expectations and take the game for what it is. 

Edited December 14, 2021 by anagain

[f.zaarour]

I can say yeah it will be worth it, for me its much better in comparison to FM21 espec. enjoying again watchting games with a variety of nice plays. But ye at the end, try the Demo as stated above already. 

If you wanna buy a car, u can ask others if the new one is a better car than the older version. But at the end, u can get a drive test with the car to see if u like it, if its better. So the Demo can help for sure. Goodluck.  

[Sharkn20]

I love it. No regrets whatsoever here.

Can't wait to comeback Home from work or the gym daily to play.

Best inmersion I had in years with this FM22.

Edited December 15, 2021 by Sharkn20

[HighwayCathedral]

I agree with @anagain's sentiments. Personally, I'm enjoying this version more than the previous version, and for context I rated FM21 an 8/10.

For me the biggest single difference is the notably-improved 3D match engine animations. I've been giving the 3D view a chance every year since it was first implemented, but I've always ended up going back to the 2D view after half-a-season at most. This time I'm probably sticking with it, because it's a lot better to watch then before.

I agree that Data Hub is kind of meh. It's nice for a visit every now and then, but I wouldn't say really worth highlighting as a feature.

 

 

[MrGlenn1337]

No

[Malicious Penguin]

Try the demo, if you like it get it in the Christmas sale if there is one.

 

(Do NOT get FM 22 Xbox Edition/Touch)

[Kingstontom88]

As repeated, try the demo and see how you feel.

I ended up going back to FM21 due to its - in my view - superior ME. There wasn't enough in FM22 to make me feel I'm missing out on anything particularly new/key that I don't get in FM21.

[Platinum]

FM 21 wasnt all that good to me. I really disliked the UI skin, I started to want to delve into data but they way it was presented wasnt good, and it had bugs at release that put me off starting a game (many years ago I learnt the lesson not to take bug feedback on these forums too seriously and I didnt listen to that learning last year).

This year the match engine has improved massively, we have the data hub, the UI skin is much more slick and responsive and IMO no massive bugs at release. So it's a much better game for me.

[zindrinho]

FM21 was great, I mean I loved it from the get-go. Possibly because fm20 was rather dissappointing, almost boring to watch the matches.

I think FM22 is great as well, not the same wow-effect as 21 had since 21 was so good already. If you liked 21 you'll like 22 as well IMO, especially with the new 2.2 update, even better!

[grade]

It really depends on the opinions of each person here. You will get those that hate this version, those the love it and those that are still in shock of a few decisions done by SI in the last few years that led to this year decision by SI, these latter people decided of not getting FM22 or the question of supporting SI of any future games is in question.

But has it was said here, you will find all sorts of opinions here, so the best is to try the demo and make the decision for yourself.

[Prej]

It's a refined version of FM21, which means it's a better game about building your perfect team to compete against other teams playing 4231. 

[HoChiKim]

Could you get the game pass instead because FM22 is in there.

[superman041]

23 hours ago, Malicious Penguin said:

Try the demo, if you like it get it in the Christmas sale if there is one.

 

(Do NOT get FM 22 Xbox Edition/Touch)

I don't think there'll be a sale now, I guess it would already happening if so. Not sure the cheapest place selling it at present?

[superman041]

On 16/12/2021 at 13:55, HoChiKim said:

Could you get the game pass instead because FM22 is in there.

Not sure you can transfer games from Game Pass to Steam. Secondly, does it work with Mac?

[benefactor_r]

This is the first FM I didn't buy since... well... CM3! And I don't regret skipping this year.

 

It would take a serious discount to change my mind. I am done with buying DLCs, data updates, and patches at the price of full new games.

[XaW]

14 minutes ago, benefactor_r said:

This is the first FM I didn't buy since... well... CM3! And I don't regret skipping this year.

 

It would take a serious discount to change my mind. I am done with buying DLCs, data updates, and patches at the price of full new games.

I'm not sure what you are saying here, no updates for FM22 costs (other than an In-game editor)...? FM doesn't have any DCLs, data updates or patches that costs anything....

[MatchWinner]

I disagree with people saying try the demo.  By the time you play the full game the match engine has changed significantly.

[Hovis Dexter]

5 minutes ago, MatchWinner said:

I disagree with people saying try the demo.  By the time you play the full game the match engine has changed significantly.

Look here:

On 14/12/2021 at 01:14, FrazT said:

To clarify- the demo is updated to the same level as the full game, shortly after any update.

 

[fc.cadoni]

On 14/12/2021 at 01:29, dandebo said:

Hi,

 

So I've played every football manager since FM12, and the original CM. And enjoyed them immensely. 

But I am struggling  to see any real difference with this update. 

Is it worth playing FM22 or is it just a tweaked FM21?

 

Cheers

I would suggest to try it demo first and see if that meets your expectations.

https://www.footballmanager.com/demo

[phd_angel]

I scratch my head as to why someone who has been playing the game for so many years would even ask this question...

Even as year-over-year (YOY) differences are minimal, when you divide the price by the number of hours you play, you realize that FM is ridiculously cheap!!

So, unless you live under the poverty line, the obvious answer is, yes, you should buy FM22.

 

[Dan_987]

56 minutes ago, phd_angel said:

I scratch my head as to why someone who has been playing the game for so many years would even ask this question...

Even as year-over-year (YOY) differences are minimal, when you divide the price by the number of hours you play, you realize that FM is ridiculously cheap!!

So, unless you live under the poverty line, the obvious answer is, yes, you should buy FM22.

 

True. I can quite easily spend the price on a round of beer at the pub or one tinder date.

So to play/invest so many hours for the game price, makes it a no brainer.

[DasMagicMullet]

I started an FM22 save, but found the number of small bugs took away from the enjoyment of the game and as such I haven't really touched it in over a month. Bugs that either didn't exist in FM21 or I never saw them. Mainly involving the world around your club - media, player interactions, relationships... etc. If you're throwing so many hours into a game then you need to be able to immerse yourself in the world.

I'd go back to FM21, but I played it heavily the first time around, so might struggle to get back into it.

Was just going to wait for the next round of patching and see if it improves.

[isignedupfornorealreason]

2 hours ago, DasMagicMullet said:

Was just going to wait for the next round of patching and see if it improves.

My advice has always, and will always be, buy the game in March/April whenever the patch drops, as that tends to be the most complete, bug-free version you're getting.

 

No different now. 

 

To answer the OP's question, I do recommend FM22, but I also think it is filled with very silly bugs that should have been stamped out in the beta testing - some which haven't even been fixed yet. Maybe one or two of them probably won't even get fixed at all. So, for a smoother experience, I'd say wait. But it's in decent nick now. Personally, I bought it early this year because I could get it on the cheap on sale, and because I skipped 21 (the first FM I've completely skipped since back in the CM2 days), which might be why I'm enjoying 22 a little bit more. A break does you good at times. 

[DasMagicMullet]

1 minute ago, isignedupfornorealreason said:

My advice has always, and will always be, buy the game in March/April whenever the patch drops, as that tends to be the most complete, bug-free version you're getting.

 

No different now. 

 

To answer the OP's question, I do recommend FM22, but I also think it is filled with very silly bugs that should have been stamped out in the beta testing - some which haven't even been fixed yet. Maybe one or two of them probably won't even get fixed at all. So, for a smoother experience, I'd say wait. But it's in decent nick now. Personally, I bought it early this year because I could get it on the cheap on sale, and because I skipped 21 (the first FM I've completely skipped since back in the CM2 days), which might be why I'm enjoying 22 a little bit more. A break does you good at times. 

Bugs such as the one posted by this chap just now:

Board from Devastated to happy n a single action, that just takes the fun out of it. I shared on another thread that I had a 'hatred' relationship with a journalist that went from Good -> Hatred -> Close Friend in the space of about 3 weeks.

[afailed10]

Played a bit of FM21 this weekend after not touching it for several months and I was annoyed at how bad the engine actually was. The rendered plays are very repetitive and mechanic with little variety of play. You don't really feel the tactical adjustments at work in the engine. Moreover, it seems the annoying throw ins, the predictable VAR checks, the overpowered long shots and free kicks didn't bother me as much as they do now.

So ye, I'd rather play the version that has better chance of being improved and that is the latest, FM22. Other than that I'd avoid all of them and play FM17 or FM18. It has been downhill ever since for me. Except in things such as training which is more challenging now.

[Federico]

I think the OP asked an opinion from us and while I surely agree downloading the demo and making one by his own is a good suggestion, I think it's a little bit of avoiding the annoyement to make a stand, and tell to the OP what we think of FM22.

Personally, if you already own FM21, I can't see one single reason for you to purchase FM22.

I purchased every boxed copy of FM since FM05 till FM22. I love the game, I'm particulary fond to it and I have probably the greatest VGaming memories thanks to it. I spent thousands of hours of enjoyement along more than a decade on it across nights and days. FM is probably one of the reason I decided to make the further step and become a real coach (grassroots level eh.... but hey that's a demanding role!).

But for the first time EVER I don't feel like playing it. I wondered myself what happened, and the answer was boredom. I feel like playing the same game since.. maybe 7 years? maybe more? Once you install the game you'll realise you're going to do the same things, hitting the same buttons, clicking the same amount of times your mouse and making the same choices you did for years. The intro screen is the same as the past year. The options are the same. The leagues are the same, you begin your career and the news page is the same as ever. And then you have to download patches and logos and faces and maybe a new modded skin to make it more enjoyable at your eyes. But the skin isn't supported and you suffer crash dump, until the day a new patch is released and probably you need further workarounds if you want to keep playing FM in a more realistic way. Go with Zebre, and ATM or FLA or CRU. Trainings are the same, great stuff I enjoy a lot planning trainings, but you can't save an yearly training plan so at every season you have to start from scratch. And waste time with interactions, reading lines on lines on lines for answering. And than make your tactic, just pick one, start a game and again, same stadiums, same players, same nets, same refs, same pitches, same light, same commentary (I think... I never read it haha!), same matchday graphic! (if you don't play Bundesliga, that indeed has a lovely graphic!). Yeah we have tablets and shouts and instructions one click away. Shortcuts. Useful, but shortcuts.

I love FM21. it's great, it has a super ME and I consider it probably among the 2-3 best FM ever made since SI established. But Data Hub and a couple of new roles, for me, is not enough to justify a full purchase.

That said, I hope I'll find someday what I've been losing lately, I hope for the sake of FM and SI they make huge changes in the future with the UI especially but the game in general.

I would love to feel and indeed see I'm playing a new game.

[Pasonen]

On 20/12/2021 at 18:17, Federico said:

I think the OP asked an opinion from us and while I surely agree downloading the demo and making one by his own is a good suggestion, I think it's a little bit of avoiding the annoyement to make a stand, and tell to the OP what we think of FM22.

Personally, if you already own FM21, I can't see one single reason for you to purchase FM22.

I purchased every boxed copy of FM since FM05 till FM22. I love the game, I'm particulary fond to it and I have probably the greatest VGaming memories thanks to it. I spent thousands of hours of enjoyement along more than a decade on it across nights and days. FM is probably one of the reason I decided to make the further step and become a real coach (grassroots level eh.... but hey that's a demanding role!).

But for the first time EVER I don't feel like playing it. I wondered myself what happened, and the answer was boredom. I feel like playing the same game since.. maybe 7 years? maybe more? Once you install the game you'll realise you're going to do the same things, hitting the same buttons, clicking the same amount of times your mouse and making the same choices you did for years. The intro screen is the same as the past year. The options are the same. The leagues are the same, you begin your career and the news page is the same as ever. And then you have to download patches and logos and faces and maybe a new modded skin to make it more enjoyable at your eyes. But the skin isn't supported and you suffer crash dump, until the day a new patch is released and probably you need further workarounds if you want to keep playing FM in a more realistic way. Go with Zebre, and ATM or FLA or CRU. Trainings are the same, great stuff I enjoy a lot planning trainings, but you can't save an yearly training plan so at every season you have to start from scratch. And waste time with interactions, reading lines on lines on lines for answering. And than make your tactic, just pick one, start a game and again, same stadiums, same players, same nets, same refs, same pitches, same light, same commentary (I think... I never read it haha!), same matchday graphic! (if you don't play Bundesliga, that indeed has a lovely graphic!). Yeah we have tablets and shouts and instructions one click away. Shortcuts. Useful, but shortcuts.

I love FM21. it's great, it has a super ME and I consider it probably among the 2-3 best FM ever made since SI established. But Data Hub and a couple of new roles, for me, is not enough to justify a full purchase.

That said, I hope I'll find someday what I've been losing lately, I hope for the sake of FM and SI they make huge changes in the future with the UI especially but the game in general.

I would love to feel and indeed see I'm playing a new game.

A lot of same thoughts even though there's some things in ME I like to see changing like wide defending and how and what tempo game flows head to head. Still at the moment my playing times have dropped from 1000's of hours to 300 because next lines I'm going to write.

MY Personal problem with the FM22 and I think against the whole series is:

>> Lack of challenge, and this is because of (In my eyes) one or two things.

1) AI and ME just can't produce a game day where you can mess things up big time. AI can't make big enough mistakes or correct them because the way game is build around realistic numbers being possible. At the moment AI and ME need to behave in a way the FM footballing world looks like realistic in numbers and that's a huge challenge when thinking how well AI can react inside matches.

2) Training and match preparations do not have big enough effect to match days. I mean now you can make 100 tactical changes as a human player and your players are just "Sir yes SIR". This gives huge edge against AI who needs to play against human with same tools it plays agains AI to give realistic numbers and match/league results. Match preparations should dictate how much you can make tactical decisions inside the match.

 

 

[FrazT]

This thread has just become another feedback thread so, given that the OP has had a lot of responses and has not posted again, this will be closed now