Christmas came a bit early this year with the release of Football Manager 2022 on November 8th. It’s everyone’s favorite, real-life players and managers included.
We’ve been reviewing the Football Manager series since 2008 and the so-called competition as well so we feel that we can offer a solid opinion. Soccer Manager, Lords of Football, Global Soccer, Club Manager, Top Eleven, Player’s Eleven….everyone has tried to beat Football Manager but all have failed miserably.
The franchise continues to be the juggernaut of football sims, and each year more and more people play the game in one form or another. Different versions of the 2022 edition can be found for PC, Mac, Xbox (including Game Pass on day one), Nintendo Switch, and mobile (via App Store and Google Play).
Each year the game gets better and makes a series of improvements, and this year is no exception. The end result is the most authentic and addictive football simulation ever made. This is saying a lot considering Football Manager has been the inspiration for a documentary and two books by Iain Macintosh. Reportedly the game has some consequences in the real world too. Just ask Andy Cotter-Roberts, Andrej Pavlović, and Vugar Huseynzade.
Fans of the series will see that the game looks remarkably better thanks to an upgraded animation engine. Better staff meetings, more data via the Data Hub, and the most realistic Deadline Day bring the authenticity to a whole new level.
If you’re a fan of MLS or the A-League, you’ll find that there were changes made so that the in-game league more closely resemble their real-life counterparts. You’ll find improvements in transfer values, agents, manager customization, fantasy drafts, and scouting reports. Each of these make the game all that more realistic. You could call it a move from realism to ultra-realism, and both newcomers and veterans will take notice.
Purchasing FM22 will give the buyer an entire year’s worth of fun and enjoyment. It’s hands down the best value in gaming; nothing else comes close.
