head to head
vs
DownwellvsShock Troopers: 2nd Squad
Downwell leans Execution (Pure Mechanics); Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
DownwellShock Troopers: 2nd Squad
Axis by axis
Execution8 vs 8
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 1
Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad leans harder on reads: Enemies follow fixed scripted patterns
Variance4 vs 3
Downwell leans harder on variance: Procedural wells and shop offers vary runs
Optimization4 vs 4
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.