[archibalduk]

I have added three new reviews to the first post:

Gamer Zone
Link: Franchise Hockey Manager 2014 review: Thank goo... | GameZone
Score: N/A
Summary:

There were far too many instances where I’d go, “Wait, didn’t I just make X move?” There seems to be a problem with the communication between the game and player. Maybe it stems from the weak UI, or maybe it just stems from a bad design, but there are plenty of times where you’ll wonder if a trade, roster move, or tactical decision you’ve implemented has really gone into effect. The game is frustrating enough when your players aren’t performing as well as you’d like them to. This only complicates things more.

Sadly, the complications don’t quite end there. The simulation of a game is an extremely painful process should you sit and “watch” it; you’re better off fast-forwarding through each game instead of wasting ten minutes of your time. Sadly, though, bypassing the games themselves doesn’t allow you to switch some tactics on the fly, something that has given me tangible results. It’s an unfortunate catch-22 that only showcases the problems with the game.

Franchise Hockey Manager 2014 has potential. In order to reach that, you’ll have to dig through a lot of crap. It’s not bad, yet not good. Merely so-so.

At least hockey is back, though. Go ‘Hawks.

Operation Sports (5/10)
Link: Franchise Hockey Manager Review - Operation Sports
Score: 5 / 10
Summary:

Like I mentioned, past practice is that Out of the Park Developments support their products and listen to fans. If you are a huge hockey fan and have been waiting for a long time for such a product, $40 might seem like a steal--just think of it as a long term investment that will pay off in time, not necessarily immediately.

For everyone else, I’m suggesting the wait and see approach. The learning curve is steep, the bugs seem rampant, and the product seems a little unfinished.

Again, this rookie has huge potential--it’s just hard to recommend it for the price at this point.

Pop Matters (6/10)
Link: Franchise Hockey Manager 2014 | PopMatters
Score: 6 / 10
Summary:

For those that love or even that want to understand more of the background machinery that goes into a hockey season, Franchise Hockey Manager 2014 delivers more than one could hope for. For those that’d rather keep the off-ice politics off the ice, it will come across as nothing more than a series of numbers with some familiar names attached to them.