head to head
vs
Gears TacticsvsXCOM: Enemy Unknown
Gears Tactics leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); XCOM: Enemy Unknown leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos).
Gears TacticsXCOM: Enemy Unknown
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 3
XCOM: Enemy Unknown leans harder on execution: Turn-based; no twitch inputs; cover placement has mild precision
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance6 vs 7
XCOM: Enemy Unknown leans harder on variance: Hit chances, crit rolls, and mission spawns create constant RNG swings
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.