Building comparison
head to head
Fallout: New VegasvsPillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Neither is simply harder - they are hard in different places. Fallout: New Vegas demands more execution; Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire demands more variance.
Fallout: New Vegas
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A faction-driven RPG-shooter where build and route planning shape every ending.
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A multiclass optimization sandbox where subclass combinations produce exotic damage ceilings for theory-crafters.
Fallout: New Vegas leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Fallout: New VegasPillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 2
Fallout: New Vegas leans clearly harder on execution.
Fallout: New Vegas
Shooter inputs with VATS assist
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Pause-heavy combat requires deliberate decision-making, not reaction speed
Reads1 vs 1
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Fallout: New Vegas
Scripted factions and enemies
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Enemy AI is scripted; ship combat follows fixed rulesets
Variance2 vs 4
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire leans clearly harder on variance.
Fallout: New Vegas
Some loot and crit RNG
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Ship encounter positioning and hidden item stats add unknowns
Optimization8 vs 10
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire leans clearly harder on optimization.
Fallout: New Vegas
Faction routing, perks, builds heavily rewarded
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Multiclass subclass stacking produces near-broken optimization ceilings
A matching score does not mean a matching test. Two games can both sit at 10 on execution and demand completely different things of you - which is why the reasoning above matters more than the number beside it.