head to head
vs
Child of LightvsPhantasy Star IV
Child of Light leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Phantasy Star IV leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Child of LightPhantasy Star IV
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 2
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 3
Phantasy Star IV leans harder on variance: Random encounter variety and technique effectiveness vary modestly
Optimization8 vs 8
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.