head to head
vs
Hitman: Game of the Year EditionvsMedieval II: Total War
Hitman: Game of the Year Edition leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Medieval II: Total War leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Hitman: Game of the Year EditionMedieval II: Total War
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 2
Hitman: Game of the Year Edition leans harder on execution: Timing windows exist but stealth forgives slow hands
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 3
Medieval II: Total War leans harder on variance: fog of war and event triggers hide some state
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.