head to head

EarthBound cover artvsFallout cover art

EarthBoundvsFallout

EarthBound leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Fallout leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).

EXECUTION2 /10READS0 /10VARIANCE4 /10OPTIMIZATION7 /10
EarthBoundFallout

Axis by axis

Execution2 vs 1

EarthBound leans harder on execution: Rolling HP meter has very mild timing implication

Reads0 vs 0

Even - both lean on reads about the same.

Variance4 vs 4

Even - both lean on variance about the same.

Optimization7 vs 8

Fallout leans harder on optimization: SPECIAL builds and quest routing are deeply 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

EarthBound

full breakdown

Fallout