Farming Simulator 22 has locked down its release date to later this winter, leaving fans of Giants’ Software long-running series with not that long a wait before they get to sample the latest entry’s new additions.
From new crops to a bucketload of equipment brands, the additions of production chains and various technical improvements, Farming Simulator 22’s release date should reveal a game that leans more towards the realistic side of things while still giving players freedom in how they approach farming. We got a taste of what it has to offer during a Gamescom hands-off preview session; here’s what we learned.
Farming Simulator 22 Release Date
Farming Simulator 22’s release date is slated for November 22, almost exactly three years after the previous iteration that landed on major platforms.
Farming Simulator 22 Gameplay
The game’s focus should be clear from its very name, however, Farming Simulator 22 has several new tricks up its sleeve. For starters, it will introduce three new crop types: grapes, olives, and sorghum, which you’ll need to plant, look after, and harvest.
Grapes require “special treatment,” according to the developer, which is why they seem to have specific vehicles dedicated to them. They also do not require seeding, being placed down using Farming Simulator 22’s overhauled landscaping tool, which also lets you build fences now.
To keep grapes in top shape, you’ll need to fertilize (or spray them), cut, and harvest them using specialized tools and, as long as you take care of them, grapes will remain where you planted them. The vehicles used for grapes are narrower than most, to fit between the tighter rows, each vine having real collision.
This is where we were introduced to the Holland Braud 9070L, a new vehicle used to harvest grapes, as well as the Furhman Steyr transport – a new brand in FS22 –, that could have its hatch opened on either side without damaging the grapes. The Fend Vario 211 V tractor and Hardi Mercury 4000 sprayer came in handy when fertilizing grapes, the latter’s range perfectly covering two rows of vines, improving their yield.
Farming Simulator 22 also introduces production chains to the mix, which you can place on your field, if you so choose. Bringing wheat to the mill gets you Flour, which you can bring to the bakery to make bread or cake. These can, then, be sold to the supermarket.
Similarly, grapes can be turned into Raisins or Grape Juice at the Grape Processing unit. The further you go down production chains, the more money you can earn, but this isn’t imperative. The developer tells us that playing the latest entry in the series without interacting with its production chains is very much possible.
Seasonal cycles that determine which actions you can perform on each crop are also part of Farming Simulator 22. Sleeping moves time forward by a month, while an in-game calendar tracks planting and harvest seasons. You can, however, turn off the feature if you’d rather play the game as you did the older entries.
While cultivating, you’ll unearth smaller or bigger stones that damage your equipment. To avoid paying high repair costs, you can use a tractor like the Zetor Crystal HD 170 to drag a stone picker like the Elho Scorpio and remove them.
When Farming Simulator 22’s release date comes around, players should also notice changes to how sound works. Answering player feedback, Giants’ Software worked to make sounds more realistic in FS22. You can better hear hydraulics and distinguish metal hitting metal.
Smaller tractors noticeably strain their engines as they struggle to climb a hill. The sound propagation is also different when you’re inside the cabin as compared to when you’re using the third-person camera. This is more noticeable in (bigger) vehicles with soundproof cabins.
Traffic is also faster and inspired by cars from the real-life regions in which its maps are located. The title will launch with three maps: the fictional town of Haut-Beyleron in France, a reworked version of Erlengrat, and Elmcreek in the US.
These maps benefit from a series of technical improvements like parallax occlusion mapping, which makes everything – from the ground to other assets you look at – appear three-dimensional, an improved particle system that leaves a satisfying trail of dust behind larger harvesters, as well as better reflections, making it easier to differentiate between wet and dry sections of land.
FS22 also gives players the option of switching between automatic and manual transmission when driving, the latter working with keyboards, gamepads, and external peripherals. You can tackle agriculture, animal husbandry, and forestry on your own or in multiplayer while using more than 400 machines and tools from over 100 brands like John Deere, CLAAS, Case IH, or Massey Ferguson.
Farming Simulator 22 System Requirements
Minimum:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10 Home (x64)
- Processor: Intel Core i5-3330 or AMD FX-8320 or better
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon R7 265 or better (min 2GB VRAM)
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 35 GB available space
- Sound Card: Sound card
- Additional Notes: These system requirements can´t cover all possible system configurations so issues could occur that avoid or influence the functionality in some cases.
Recommended:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10 Home (x64)
- Processor: Intel Core i5-5675C or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 or better
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 570 or better (min 6GB VRAM)
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 35 GB available space
- Sound Card: Sound card
- Additional Notes: These system requirements can´t cover all possible system configurations so issues could occur that avoid or influence the functionality in some cases.
Where can you buy Farming Simulator 22 and how much does it cost?
The PC version of Farming Simulator 22 is available for purchase on both Steam and the Epic Games Store, while its console versions are available on the Microsoft Store, PlayStation Store, and Google Stadia’s website.
The title is priced at $49.99/39,99€/£34.99 or your regional equivalent.
Farming Simulator 22 Trailer
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