head to head
vs
Hitman: AbsolutionvsMetal Gear Solid 2: Substance
Hitman: Absolution leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Hitman: AbsolutionMetal Gear Solid 2: Substance
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 4
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 1
Hitman: Absolution leans harder on variance: Disguise suspicion feels fuzzy until learned
Optimization7 vs 6
Hitman: Absolution leans harder on optimization: Linear-ish levels still reward planned routes
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.