Half Life 2: Episode One vs N.O.V.A. 2
Half Life 2: Episode One
Half Life 2: Episode One is the first standalone game in Valve's spin-off trilogy for its game series, Half Life. Featuring a gameplay that closely resembles Half Life 2, its namesake, this game provides loyal fans of the game a nice continuation (somewhat) in the series' storyline. Similar to Half Life 2, this game has a lot more scripted scenes as well as puzzles and strategic combat rather than simply adding in more aliens for you to fight and weapons for you to fight with.Despite its rather short game duration, Half Life 2: Episode One gives its hardcore fans something to chew on as they wait - endlessly - for a Half Life 3. And naturally, being released in 2006, the game has a more polished look. To be honest, it's a great alternative game to Half Life 2.
N.O.V.A. 2
N.O.V.A. 2 is the exciting sequel to a pretty popular FPS game series. Set in a time 6 years after humanity has successfully repelled the Judger invaders, another more devious, telepathic alien race, the Volterites, arrived under a banner of peace but had brainwashed a majority of the human race into thinking they are some kind of deity who had come to create a Utopian world that humans deserved.Join Kal Wardin once again as he tries to fight to free humans from the corrupting mind control the aliens have imposed on mankind, reunite humanity to rise up against the Volterites and potentially find out what these aliens have in plan for the humans they control.
N.O.V.A. 2 basically retained everything that had made the original game so popular among fans of the FPS genre. Although it's not exactly an innovative sequel, it is still a pretty nice addition to the franchise and well, you get to enjoy a brand-new storyline.
That said, N.O.V.A. 2 is no longer available. If you're interested, you can get N.O.V.A. 3 instead or browse through the list of alternative games below.