head to head
vs
Crackdown 2vsThe Last of Us
Crackdown 2 leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery); The Last of Us leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Crackdown 2The Last of Us
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 5
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization6 vs 5
Crackdown 2 leans harder on optimization: Skill grinding, orb routes, and absorption beacons reduce to checklists
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.