head to head
vs
Fade to BlackvsGolden Axe
Fade to Black leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Golden Axe leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Fade to BlackGolden Axe
Axis by axis
Execution6 vs 6
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 1
Golden Axe leans harder on reads: Enemies are scripted; only co-op adds human texture
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization5 vs 5
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.