Building comparison
head to head
Dragon Age: OriginsvsPortal
Neither is simply harder - they are hard in different places. Dragon Age: Origins demands more variance; Portal demands more execution.
Dragon Age: Origins
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A pausable tactics RPG where party build and tactic-slot planning win fights.
Portal
Optimization · Pure Optimization
The portal-gun puzzle game whose solutions are everything.
Dragon Age: Origins leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Portal leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Dragon Age: OriginsPortal
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 4
Portal leans clearly harder on execution.
Dragon Age: Origins
Tactical pause combat, low input demand
Portal
Portal placement timing modest.
Reads1 vs 0
Dragon Age: Origins leans a little harder on reads, though the gap is small.
Dragon Age: Origins
Enemy AI is scripted
Portal
No adversary modeling player.
Variance3 vs 0
Dragon Age: Origins leans clearly harder on variance.
Dragon Age: Origins
Hidden rolls and loot tables
Portal
Deterministic chambers; no randomness.
Optimization8 vs 8
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Dragon Age: Origins
Tactics slots, builds, party synergy dominate
Portal
Pure puzzle-solving optimization.
A matching score does not mean a matching test. Two games can both sit at 10 on execution and demand completely different things of you - which is why the reasoning above matters more than the number beside it.