head to head
vs
Freedom WarsvsMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Freedom Wars leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Freedom WarsMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Axis by axis
Execution6 vs 5
Freedom Wars leans harder on execution: Thorn-grappling and weapon timing against giant abductors
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance3 vs 4
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor leans harder on variance: Procedural captains with hidden strengths and weaknesses
Optimization6 vs 6
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.