head to head
vs
Castlevania: Harmony of DissonancevsPrince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Castlevania: Harmony of DissonancePrince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 5
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time leans harder on execution: Acrobatic platforming chains need timing; rewind softens failure
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance1 vs 1
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization7 vs 6
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance leans harder on optimization: Twin-castle navigation and spellbook combos carry it.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.