head to head
vs
Horizon Zero DawnvsSpore Hero
Horizon Zero Dawn leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Spore Hero leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Horizon Zero DawnSpore Hero
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 4
Horizon Zero Dawn leans harder on execution: Bow aiming and dodge timing matter.
Reads1 vs 0
Horizon Zero Dawn leans harder on reads: Machines follow fixed patterns, not adapting.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization5 vs 5
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.