head to head
vs
Cyberpunk 2077vsWay of the Samurai 3
Cyberpunk 2077 leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery); Way of the Samurai 3 leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Cyberpunk 2077Way of the Samurai 3
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 3
Way of the Samurai 3 leans harder on variance: Branching events hidden until discovered across playthroughs
Optimization7 vs 6
Cyberpunk 2077 leans harder on optimization: Cyberware, perks, and damage stacking are deep solvable systems.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.