Building comparison
head to head
BastionvsMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is variance, and it is a single point.
Bastion
Optimization · Practiced Mastery
An isometric action RPG narrated as you play.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Optimization · Practiced Mastery
An action-command RPG where dodging and countering boss tells is half the battle.
Bastion leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery); Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
BastionMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 5
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Bastion
Action combat needs timing and aim.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Every attack and dodge is a timed action command.
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Bastion
Enemies are scripted.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Boss tells are fixed and learnable.
Variance2 vs 1
Bastion leans a little harder on variance, though the gap is small.
Bastion
Minor loot variance.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Little randomness beyond minor drops.
Optimization6 vs 6
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Bastion
Weapon and idol builds reward planning.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Badges, gear, and learning attack patterns close fights.
A matching score does not mean a matching test. Two games can both sit at 10 on execution and demand completely different things of you - which is why the reasoning above matters more than the number beside it.