head to head
vs
DescentvsSuper Mario Odyssey
Descent leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Super Mario Odyssey leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
DescentSuper Mario Odyssey
Axis by axis
Execution8 vs 8
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 1
Descent leans harder on variance: Mine layouts fixed; ambushes surprise only once
Optimization6 vs 5
Descent leans harder on optimization: Route memorization and weapon economy reward optimization
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.