head to head
vs
Ape OutvsTotal Carnage
Ape Out leans Execution (Pure Mechanics); Total Carnage leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
Ape OutTotal Carnage
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 8
Total Carnage leans harder on execution: Twin-stick aiming and dodging amid bullet chaos is everything
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance4 vs 3
Ape Out leans harder on variance: Procedurally shuffled layouts and enemy placements
Optimization3 vs 3
Even - both lean on optimization about the same.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.