Franchise Hockey Manager 8
- October 26, 2021
- Out of the Park Developments
- 340h median play time
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Get on Apple StoreFranchise Hockey Manager is the latest (2021) version of the Franchise Hockey Manager series. Releasing in October of 2021, FHM8 builds off the successful 7 adding a variety of new features. Franchise Hockey Manager is the only NHL Licensed game on PC.
iPad
iPhone
Mac OS
PC
Phone
Windows
Mobile Platform
Reviews
- FHM8 offers an extremely in-depth and enjoyable hockey management experience, making it a great choice for fans of the genre.
- The game features a detailed financial system and improved scouting reports, enhancing the overall management experience.
- The developers are responsive to community feedback, continuously improving the game with each iteration.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and crashes, which can significantly detract from the gameplay experience.
- The user interface is complicated and not user-friendly, making it difficult for new players to navigate and enjoy the game.
- Trade logic and AI decision-making can be unrealistic, leading to frustrating experiences when managing player transactions.
- gameplay12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this hockey simulation is praised for its deep mechanics that are easy to learn yet challenging to master, making it a standout in the genre. While the game introduces immersive features and a new budget system that adds strategic depth, some users note that certain systems require further refinement and bug fixes. Overall, the gameplay experience is considered engaging and promising, particularly for those managing lower-revenue leagues.
“With the deepest simulation available for hockey at the moment, and mechanics that are easy to learn, but hard to master, this is the game to beat in the field of hockey video games.”
“There are systems which still need to be fleshed out, bugs to be fixed, mechanics to be clarified.”
“The budget system is a very nice addition, and I would imagine if you play in lower-revenue leagues, it would present a different facet of gameplay in terms of balancing your scouting and development budgets.”
“And the gameplay, I think anyway, is now at a level where these kinds of challenges don't sound tedious anymore.”
- story4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Users express a desire for more engaging storylines in sports management games, particularly those that reflect real-life scenarios, such as player-team relationship breakdowns. They feel that current games often lack the narrative depth needed to fully satisfy their gaming experience.
“It would be interesting, especially in light of the Jack Eichel situation, to see (very occasional) storylines happen that lead to a breakdown of the relationship between a player and a team.”
“Would be interesting, especially in light of the Jack Eichel situation, to see (very occasional) storylines happen that lead to a breakdown of the relationship between a player and a team.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for feeling unfinished, with users reporting occasional bugs and crashes, particularly during the 2D simulation segments. However, past experiences with quick patches for similar titles suggest that these issues may be resolved over time, making it a worthwhile purchase for genre fans, especially at a discount.
“It's a bit buggy (enable weekly auto-saves!!!) and I've had a number of crashes, especially during the 2D sim portion of the game, but FHM 7 was patched up pretty quickly, so I wouldn't let that deter you from purchasing this game if you are a fan of the genre.”
“I feel like the game is unfinished, but not in a buggy way.”
“I feel like the game is unfinished, but not in a buggy way.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The optimization aspect of the game has been criticized for introducing a monthly scouting budget points system that is largely seen as negligible and irrelevant, failing to significantly impact gameplay or enhance the overall experience.
“They introduced a monthly scouting budget points system that changes based on the team performance, but this was a negligible, if not completely irrelevant, change.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players note that while the game has a learning curve, mastering its features significantly enhances its replayability, making it more enjoyable than competing titles like EA NHL.
“This game takes a bit to get used to, but once you figure out the majority of the features, it becomes significantly more enjoyable and replayable than EA NHL.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players feel that the grinding aspect of the game has been improved to the point where it no longer feels tedious, making challenges more engaging and enjoyable.
