Mass Effect 2 vs Verdant Skies
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the new sci-fi game franchise from BioWare, Mass Effect. The story in this game continues where the previous game left off - you, playing as Commander Shepard, is now a famous hero among humans and the more peaceful alien races and is tasked with investigating the mysterious circumstances that had caused entire human colonies to disappear without so much as a single trace of resistance. Of course, you won't be doing all of this alone. With your elite team of companions assembled, you'll set off on a much powerful version of the Normandy (spaceship) to seek out the culprits, to make them pay for what they have done and to save as many survivors as you can.Featuring the same depth when it comes to character customization - perhaps even more so, this game has removed the inland exploring and mineral extracting aspect and replaced it with a probe-based planet scanning system where you will scan planets to identify mineral rich locations and then send probes to do all the collecting for you. Interestingly, some planets also have special encounters with their own side-stories that are entirely optional. The gameplay itself is still pretty well-designed but of course, it slightly pales in comparison to the incredibly rich storyline this game has to offer.
If you have enjoyed any one of the core Mass Effect trilogy, then you'll want to at least play them all so you can get the whole story. After all, having a rich, decision-based storyline is the main selling feature of this franchise. And of course, Commander Shepard him/herself recommends this game, so who are you to say no to the legendary Commander Shepard?
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.