Half Life 2 vs Verdant Skies
Half Life 2
Half Life 2 is the exciting sequel to the original Half Life game and is also the inspiration for a new Half-Life-based spin-off series. The game took the suspense, the challenge and the momentum of the first game and added in a much improved and realistic graphics and responsiveness that removes a lot of the clunkiness that old games often experience.The story also continues where it was left off before, with the crowbar-wielding scientist Gordon Freeman who now finds himself in an Earth that is not only infested with aliens but is also slowly decimated by them. He now needs to make amends for the incident back in Black Mesa and at least save the people that he cares about.
Half Life 2 is a great sequel, but it is unfortunately the last... at least for the Half Life series. On the bright side, you can somewhat continue the storyline through the spin-off games Half Life 2: Episode 1 and 2.
Verdant Skies
Verdant Skies is an indie farm simulation/RPG combined with a pretty unique art style and visual novel-like dialogue choices. In this game, you play as the latest pioneer who was sent from Earth to a habitable alien planet whose main job is to set up and manage the farms at the colony, but of course, you are often asked to help out other characters with their tasks. You can also interact with the characters to increase your relationship level and eventually unlock new options such as being able to date them and start a family.Verdant Skies also features a straightforward gathering and crafting where every almost every action you take in this game will cost you time and/or energy. There's no need to restore the time you lost, but energy can be easily restored by consuming food. As a game that's very similar to Harvest Moon in essence, the game's farming aspect can be impressively in-depth, allowing you to splice the genes of your crops and your livestock to produce much more superior versions.
Verdant Skies is definitely the sort of game you'd want to check out if you've loved playing games like Harvest Moon, Staxel and even My Time at Portia. The game isn't too expensive either, considering the hours you can get out of it.