head to head
vs
Demon's SoulsvsShadow Tower: Abyss
Demon's Souls leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Shadow Tower: Abyss leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Demon's SoulsShadow Tower: Abyss
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 6
Demon's Souls leans harder on execution: Stamina-timed dodges and parries punish sloppy hands.
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 3
Shadow Tower: Abyss leans harder on variance: Hidden dungeon layout and item durability add uncertainty
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.