Building comparison
head to head
BorderlandsvsThe Ascent
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is variance, and it is a single point.
Borderlands
Optimization · Practiced Mastery
The original loot-driven co-op shooter set on the bandit world of Pandora.
The Ascent
Optimization · Practiced Mastery
A cyberpunk twin-stick action RPG about indentured workers shooting up a collapsing arcology.
Borderlands leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery); The Ascent leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
BorderlandsThe Ascent
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.
Borderlands
Standard FPS aim; numbers matter more than precision
The Ascent
Twin-stick aiming with cover-height shooting
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Borderlands
Bandits and skags are scripted
The Ascent
Gangs follow scripts
Variance4 vs 3
Borderlands leans a little harder on variance, though the gap is small.
Borderlands
Procedural loot drops gate your power
The Ascent
Loot drops vary builds
Optimization6 vs 6
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Borderlands
Builds, gear math, and farming routes dominate
The Ascent
Augments, gear levels, and builds carry
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.