head to head
vs
EarthBoundvsState of Decay 2
EarthBound leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); State of Decay 2 leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos).
EarthBoundState of Decay 2
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 3
State of Decay 2 leans harder on execution: Combat is forgiving; stealth and swings need modest timing
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance4 vs 5
State of Decay 2 leans harder on variance: Permadeath, infestations and survivor traits randomise each community
Optimization7 vs 7
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.