Building comparison
head to head
Far Cry 3vsGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas asks more than Far Cry 3, and the gap is optimization.
Far Cry 3
Execution · Practiced Mastery
The template Far Cry: outposts, predators, and a tropical sandbox.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Optimization · Practiced Mastery
A sprawling open-world crime epic with RPG-style character stats across a whole state.
Far Cry 3 leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Far Cry 3Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 4
Far Cry 3 leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Far Cry 3
Shooting and stealth fundamentals matter.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Flying school and drive-bys need decent hands
Reads1 vs 0
Far Cry 3 leans a little harder on reads, though the gap is small.
Far Cry 3
Pirate AI uses fixed alert patterns.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Gang AI is scripted, never adaptive
Variance2 vs 2
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Far Cry 3
Wildlife and outpost spawns randomized.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Territory wars and traffic add light randomness
Optimization4 vs 6
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas leans clearly harder on optimization.
Far Cry 3
Skill trees and weapon mods quickly mastered.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Stats, gym, weapon skill, and routes reward systematic play
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.