head to head
vs
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VIIvsMiddle-earth: Shadow of War
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery); Middle-earth: Shadow of War leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VIIMiddle-earth: Shadow of War
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 5
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 1
Middle-earth: Shadow of War leans harder on reads: Nemesis system mimics adaptation but follows knowable rules
Variance4 vs 4
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization6 vs 7
Middle-earth: Shadow of War leans harder on optimization: Army building and siege planning layer on top
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.