head to head

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial cover artvsThe Sims cover art

E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialvsThe Sims

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); The Sims leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).

EXECUTION2 /10READS0 /10VARIANCE2 /10OPTIMIZATION5 /10
E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialThe Sims

Axis by axis

Execution2 vs 1

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial leans harder on execution: Clumsy pit navigation, little dexterity

Reads0 vs 0

Even - both lean on reads about the same.

Variance2 vs 2

Even - both lean on variance about the same.

Optimization5 vs 6

The Sims leans harder on optimization: Need scheduling, career grinding and money loops are solvable

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

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

full breakdown

The Sims