head to head
vs
Escape Dead IslandvsShenmue
Escape Dead Island leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Shenmue leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Escape Dead IslandShenmue
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 3
Escape Dead Island leans harder on execution: Stealth takedowns and clumsy melee ask modest timing
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization4 vs 5
Shenmue leans harder on optimization: Clue order, NPC schedules, and move training are fully mappable
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.