head to head
vs
Castlevania: Symphony of the NightvsELEX II
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); ELEX II leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Castlevania: Symphony of the NightELEX II
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 5
ELEX II leans harder on execution: Jetpack-augmented action combat, real timing
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization7 vs 7
Even - both lean on optimization about the same.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.