Building comparison
head to head
Borderlands 2vsDarkest Dungeon II
Borderlands 2 asks more than Darkest Dungeon II, and the gap is execution.
Borderlands 2
Optimization · Systems & Chaos
Loot-shooter RPG built on gear chasing.
Darkest Dungeon II
Optimization · Systems & Chaos
Run-based sequel reframing the despair as a stagecoach road trip to the mountain.
Borderlands 2 leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); Darkest Dungeon II leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos).
Borderlands 2Darkest Dungeon II
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 0
Borderlands 2 leans clearly harder on execution.
Borderlands 2
Aim matters but generous hit feel
Darkest Dungeon II
turn-based, no dexterity
Reads1 vs 0
Borderlands 2 leans a little harder on reads, though the gap is small.
Borderlands 2
Enemies are scripted loot fodder
Darkest Dungeon II
no adaptive opponent
Variance6 vs 7
Darkest Dungeon II leans a little harder on variance, though the gap is small.
Borderlands 2
Procedurally generated weapon drops vary
Darkest Dungeon II
road events, tokens, and relationship rolls vary runs
Optimization8 vs 8
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Borderlands 2
Skill trees and gear math heavily solved
Darkest Dungeon II
token-economy combat math rewards mastery
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.