head to head

Dragon Quest XI cover artvsThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim cover art

Dragon Quest XIvsThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Dragon Quest XI leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).

EXECUTION2 /10READS0 /10VARIANCE2 /10OPTIMIZATION8 /10
Dragon Quest XIThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Axis by axis

Execution2 vs 3

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim leans harder on execution: Combat is forgiving; aim and timing rarely punish you.

Reads0 vs 0

Even - both lean on reads about the same.

Variance2 vs 2

Even - both lean on variance about the same.

Optimization8 vs 7

Dragon Quest XI leans harder on optimization: Skill web routing and forge optimization are the clear mastery layer

Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.

full breakdown

Dragon Quest XI

full breakdown

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim