head to head
vs
Half-LifevsMarathon (1994)
Half-Life leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Marathon (1994) leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Half-LifeMarathon (1994)
Axis by axis
Execution6 vs 7
Marathon (1994) leans harder on execution: Precise aim and tight movement in corridor battles define the ceiling
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
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.