head to head
vs
Grim DawnvsThief II: The Metal Age
Grim Dawn leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Thief II: The Metal Age leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Grim DawnThief II: The Metal Age
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 3
Grim Dawn leans harder on execution: Boss fights and Crucible have limited twitch demand
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance4 vs 3
Grim Dawn leans harder on variance: Drop RNG and component rolls add moderate hidden information
Optimization9 vs 9
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.