Franchise Hockey Manager 9
- November 8, 2022
- Out of the Park Developments
- 500h median play time
Get on Steam"Franchise Hockey Manager 9" is a strategy game that lets you take control of a hockey team and guide them to victory. With licenses from the NHL, you can manage your favorite franchise and aim for the Stanley Cup. The game offers various play modes, including historical and international tournaments, or you can create your own custom league. You can also import your FHM8 save and continue with new features.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a deep and engaging hockey management experience with extensive customization options and a large player pool.
- The addition of NCAA hockey and the new 'Make Trade Work' feature enhance gameplay and provide more strategic depth.
- The developers are responsive to community feedback and continuously improve the game with each iteration.
- The user interface is clunky and outdated, making navigation difficult and detracting from the overall experience.
- There are frequent bugs and crashes, particularly with save files and the simulation speed, which can disrupt gameplay.
- AI trading logic is often unrealistic, leading to frustrating experiences when attempting to make trades.
- gameplay16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally solid, featuring a nuanced loop and improved simulation mechanics, particularly with the introduction of the NCAA hockey system and the development of the harmony mechanic. However, some users report that many mechanics do not function as intended, and patches can introduce new issues. Overall, while there are still some kinks to work out, the game is evolving into a more polished experience.
“Gameplay loop is solid and has interesting nuance.”
“Harmony finally develops the chemistry system found in former games into its own unique mechanics for FHM.”
“I have not encountered a single mechanic in the game that works as intended or advertised, and patches currently often break as many things as they fix.”
“The biggest innovation of the ninth iteration is the NCAA championship, with rather unusual rules and draft mechanics compared to professional leagues.”
“But it looks more and more like a real game, and it seems the kinks with gameplay are less present this time.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally well-received, with users appreciating the live game visuals despite them being a step below other titles like Football Manager. The in-game graphics effectively teach players about hockey, enhancing the experience for those new to the sport, though there is a desire for more interactive graphical elements related to player management and tactics. Overall, the visuals support the game's depth in management without major technical issues.
“I actually like the live game graphics.”
“The visuals are a step below FM admittedly, but all the same meat and depth in management is there - with far fewer injury plagues and inexplicable late game winners from your opponent in games you're dominating.”
“The visuals are a step below FM, admittedly, but all the same meat and depth in management is there - with far fewer injury plagues and inexplicable late game winners from your opponent in games you're dominating.”
“Also, the possibilities to interact with players would be nice - morale, half-time speech... maybe the lines and tactics tab combined and put into graphics would be nice too.”
“They also have some in-game graphics that teach you about the game of hockey; which was important to me because I really only knew the bare minimum but love simulation management games.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is praised for its realistic variance in systems, such as player chemistry and performance streaks, which prevents it from feeling like a mere optimization challenge. Players appreciate the ability to engage with individual athletes regarding their performance and training, adding depth to team management. Overall, the balance of complexity and realism enhances the gameplay experience.
“As well, you can talk to your individual players about their performance and training.”
“Just enough variance in the game systems to make it seem real without feeling like the game cheats (chemistry, development, hot/cold streaks, etc.), or that it's a giant optimization problem with a clear answer.”
“Multiple facets to manage, with differing effects on your teams or individual players' performance.”
“The game feels like a giant optimization problem with no clear solution, making it frustrating to navigate.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game, particularly in player recruiting and tactics management, to be tedious and overly complicated. The process of negotiating with multiple scouts and navigating the tactics screens is seen as unnecessarily time-consuming, detracting from the overall experience.
“I appreciate that the team added the NCAA, but player recruiting is very tedious.”
“It's very tedious to have to click through every single scout and negotiate with them.”
“The tactics screens are needlessly confusing and tedious to navigate.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers exceptional replayability, thanks to its diverse modes of play and the developers' commitment to enhancing the experience, making it a highly addictive choice for hockey simulation fans. The NHL license further enriches the gameplay, contributing to its high replay value.
“This game has become my go-to hockey sim due to the attention given by the developers, the NHL license, and various modes of play which allow almost unlimited replayability.”
“Highly addictive, high replay value.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game exhibits some stability issues, particularly with match simulations freezing when attempting to watch them, although it generally runs well on deck. Despite these bugs, it remains a solid choice for fans of sports management simulations.
“It can be played normally on deck, but matches can only be simulated, because when I try to watch a match, it freezes.”
“A little buggy, but otherwise a great hockey game for people who are into sports management sims.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find the humor in the game to be lighthearted and relatable, often highlighting amusing player trades and the absurdity of managing a hockey team. The repetitive mention of playing the game instead of sleeping adds a comedic touch to the experience, showcasing the game's engaging nature.
“One of my friends saw Slavin get traded to Colorado for Darren Helm, which is outright hilarious.”
“I wake up, I play FHM9... funny, I was going to say 'before I go to sleep, I play FHM9' but I don't sleep, I have a hockey team to manage.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy has been criticized for being misleading, as the game is marketed as a completed product despite significant issues, leading to a perception of dishonesty among users.
“Advertising it as a completed product is extremely dishonest.”
