Farming Simulator might be one of the most unlikely series to create a cult following. That's especially true of Farming Simulator 19. Fans of FS19 built a community of online farmers ready to help, share, and bond — not to mention mod.
Not surprisingly, such an enthusiastic fanbase will have very vocal opinions about new games in the series, with some being hesitant to try anything that attempts to improve on seeming perfection. The series' most recent entry, Farming Simulator 22, however, offers a lot of variety and content that complements and adds to that of FS19. Here are the biggest differences between the two games.
9 License Plates
A very small difference from FS19 — but one that shows serious attention to detail — is the visibility of license plates on vehicles. Even though it doesn’t add or change to the overall gameplay, it’s a detail that eagle-eyed fans will no doubt notice.
If you aren’t the kind of player that cares about non-essential tidbits like numbers on a plate, you’ll at least appreciate the improved graphics that allow for something so tiny to be brought into focus. Sometimes it really is the little things.
8 Character Creator
Building on FS19’s character basics, FS22 allows for more in-depth customization of your character. You can select your character’s race, facial hair, hairstyle, and gender like before. But, in FS22, there are extra details you can change (or add).
You can customize your character's outfit, including selecting colors and separate bottoms, tops, and footwear. And you can add and change hats and sunglasses, as well. Though the character options are still primarily default, you can make your default look different enough from others to feel like an individual.
7 New Crops
There are three new crops added to the list between FS19 and FS22. Though that isn’t a hefty addition, it does offer a bit more variety in terms of cash crops, specifically: sorghum, olives, and grapes.
While none of these are high-income crops, they do come into play with the seasons and weather options in FS22, as it changes when and how you’ll want to plant your farm. It can also just be nice to have something different to plant to break up the monotony.
6 New Buildings
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The biggest and most profitable building added to FS22 is the greenhouse. There are three different sizes to choose from — small, medium, and large — and you can grow lettuce, tomatoes, and strawberries in them.
These crops can be sold to restaurants or local businesses, offering not only direct supply and profit, but also a constant demand. How you choose to use the greenhouses comes down to your own trial and error, but it is worth noting that mixing crops in one greenhouse can affect your output.
5 Calendar Cycles
FS22 adds time management to the factors required for farming. Now, like in reality, you have a year broken down into 12 months, with times of the year affecting how crops grow and thrive. This means that some fruits and veggies are seasonal, or at least will grow bigger and return a better profit at certain times of the year.
To keep the game moving and fresh, each in-game day is the equivalent of a month, so twelve days is really the full year. This feature can be changed in the settings, however, if you want more (or less) time.
4 Weather Cycles
Along with the added calendar are seasons to match. An FS19 mod added seasonal changes to its gameplay, but FS22 has developed a full system to truly simulate weather. The feature isn’t just superficial, though. Each season has its own climate and weather factors that will change how you grow and profit from your crops.
As in reality, some crops will only do well in warm weather, while others are cold-weather friendly. There’s also wind, changing temperatures and humidity, and snow to keep you on your toes.
3 Farming Equipment
FS19 offered slightly over 40 tractor variants for your farmer to use. FS22, however, has expanded the equipment options to over 400 different models, and over 100 different manufacturers.
You can find nearly any major tractor you could possibly need for your simulated farm, categorized by small, medium, and large. Manufacturers still include John Deere, Fendt, and Valtra, among others.
2 Production Chain
You can now directly profit from all of your hard work by selling your own product. Once you’ve grown your crops, harvest them and sell them to different distributors to cut out the middle man and maximize profit.
This includes creating a market with local fast food places for things like tomatoes in your greenhouse. You can process wood on your farm for sale, as well, giving you multiple sources of income throughout the year without relying on anyone but yourself.
1 Upgraded Engine
Though not a feature of the game directly, FS22 moved to GIANTS Engine 9, which has allowed for better quality graphics and sound. FS19 was hosted by GIANTS Engine 8, and was highly successful with it, but was often critiqued for lower quality graphics.
With this new engine, FS22 improved its physics and AI and has considerably better quality gameplay on consoles and PC. That said, many are quick to point out that FS22 is best on a console.