head to head
vs
Black MesavsMark of the Ninja
Black Mesa leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Mark of the Ninja leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Black MesaMark of the Ninja
Axis by axis
Execution6 vs 5
Black Mesa leans harder on execution: Classic FPS aim and platforming sequences
Reads0 vs 1
Mark of the Ninja leans harder on reads: Guards investigate noise on scripted logic; no player profiling
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization6 vs 8
Mark of the Ninja leans harder on optimization: Distraction sequencing, upgrade paths, and ghost-score routing are solvable
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.