head to head
vs
Castlevania: Symphony of the NightvsShadow Hearts
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Shadow Hearts leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Castlevania: Symphony of the NightShadow Hearts
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 4
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads1 vs 0
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night leans harder on reads: Scripted bosses
Variance2 vs 3
Shadow Hearts leans harder on variance: Ring sweet spots and malice system unknown first time.
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.