head to head
Neither is harder. They score identically on all four axes, so the difference between them is in kind, not degree.

Execution · Pure Mechanics
Steering a WWI biplane through fixed scrolling terrain on timing and memorised targets.

Execution · Pure Mechanics
A combat metroidvania testing precise platforming execution against fixed enemy patterns.
Blue Max leans Execution (Pure Mechanics); Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Blue Max
Altitude control, bombing timing and dodging demand steady hands
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition
Combo brawling and dimension-swap platforming demand tight inputs
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Blue Max
Enemy planes fly scripted patterns
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition
Enemies and bosses are colour-coded fixed patterns
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Blue Max
Terrain layout is fixed and memorisable
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition
Hand-built world with nothing random
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Blue Max
Learning target locations and fuel routes raises scores
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition
Ability-gated routing and upgrade order reward planning
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.