head to head
vs
Castlevania: Symphony of the NightvsShadow Hearts: Covenant
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Shadow Hearts: Covenant leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Castlevania: Symphony of the NightShadow Hearts: Covenant
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: Covenant leans harder on variance: Random ring effects and hidden sidequest triggers.
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.