What Gamespot knows about games can be written on a postage stamp.
Anyways, on to the game...
Harvest Moon starts out giving you very little. You start with a very messy farm that you inherit from your deceased grandfather, and must clean up... a few basic tools and a bit of cash.
The main fun of this game is that there is really no wrong way to play it. I know people who had very clean farms and grew crops, raised animals, etc... and then I know others that didn't do ANYTHING to their farm and simply fished, or sold stuff they found in the mountains.
Either way, no matter what happens, you can't lose. This gives the game a very large feeling of freedom, and overall control of everything that happens to you. There are festivals, in which you can take part to either gain or lose respect from villagers... it's really your choice. You can go to a bar and drink every day, all day until you pass out if you feel like it, and even though it doesn't have a progress bar or anything to suggest it... the game actually has an alcohol tolerance system. I didn't drink very much at all and passed out on the first drink at the New Years Festival... whereas my brother did nothing but drink, and beat everyone at the New Years festival... eventually helping in winning over his mate of choice.
Which brings me to marriage. You have a choice between girls in the town to "woo". You give them certain items that peak their interest, and visit them every day, and eventually they will grow fond of you. That's when you pop the question. Later on in the game, depending on things you do you may even have a child.
Overall there is too much good about this game to point out. I would recommend this game over any game on the planet to my friends, and have created alot of fans of it.
Try it. You will not be disappointed. (Unless you are unintelligent. Then yes, you will be disappointed.)