head to head
vs
Gears TacticsvsX-COM: UFO Defense
Gears Tactics leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); X-COM: UFO Defense leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos).
Gears TacticsX-COM: UFO Defense
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 1
Gears Tactics leans harder on execution: Cover selection and overwatch arcs require spatial judgment, not twitch
Reads1 vs 0
Gears Tactics leans harder on reads: Locust AI runs scripted spawn waves, never models player tendency
Variance6 vs 6
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization8 vs 8
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.