Franchise Hockey Manager 4 is the latest and perhaps greatest of Out of the Park Developments high quality hockey management simulator. There are a handful of improvements over the last release, and all updates to the current season as included as well. Despite some accuracy issues with simulation, and some confusing navigation, FHM 4 is a strong release, but with few must-have changes for even a dedicated player.

There's something just so fun and satisfying about being able to take the reins and make a team in your own image, getting realistic answers to those “what if” questions that you have sitting around the TV with your friends watching the real-world counterparts of these games. In that, FHM 4 definitely succeeds, and is better than its predecessors, and I feel confident in saying that OOTPD is creating the best, deepest and most responsive sports sims that have yet been created. That said, these games still have a lot of progress to make, particularly in presenting the actual matches and, a less-solvable but still-real issue, in being approachable and not exhausting.