head to head
vs
Castlevania: Symphony of the NightvsHollow Knight
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Hollow Knight leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Castlevania: Symphony of the NightHollow Knight
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 8
Hollow Knight leans harder on execution: Precise platforming and pogo timing dominate hard content.
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 1
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night leans harder on variance: Item drops and rare gear
Optimization7 vs 6
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night leans harder on optimization: Build crafting and sequence breaks
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.