FM finds a way to get even better

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It’s taken me a while to really dedicate the time Football Manager needs but thankfully the empty voids of the festive perioid have opened up the world of virtual coaching to me once again.

And it was well worth the wait. FM22 is very familiar — layout and the usual tasks of squad management, tactics, training, friendlies, transfers and more are on your to-do list when you first start.

A new weekly in-depth staff meeting, however, is a new, handy touch that can give you some good recommendations.

Even the Covid-19 pandemic has been factored in, with transfer budgets much lower than usual due to lack of fans, but they soon return to normal after a few seasons in.

Thankfully, though, Sports Interactive also decided against having coronavirus fully in the game, so players can’t be ill and won’t be isolating.

But when your first game comes along, it’s here where you notice some huge changes, specifically in regards to animations and AI.

The new engine is built around the new addition of root motion, which means that the players move off those 2D discs, and the 3D model movement is instead now based on the animation of their skeleton, allowing for much more realistic movements.

FM22 feels like a big step forward for the series, thanks to a raft of significant new features that successfully bring a freshness, without losing the game’s magic.

Same but different New engine improved the AI