head to head

Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance cover artvsSWAT 4 cover art

Metal Gear Solid 2: SubstancevsSWAT 4

Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery); SWAT 4 leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).

EXECUTION4 /10READS0 /10VARIANCE1 /10OPTIMIZATION6 /10
Metal Gear Solid 2: SubstanceSWAT 4

Axis by axis

Execution4 vs 5

SWAT 4 leans harder on execution: precise aim and careful movement required

Reads0 vs 1

SWAT 4 leans harder on reads: suspects react but don't truly adapt

Variance1 vs 3

SWAT 4 leans harder on variance: suspect placement and behavior randomized

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.

full breakdown

Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance

full breakdown

SWAT 4