head to head
vs
Metal GearvsPayday 2
Metal Gear leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Payday 2 leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Metal GearPayday 2
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 6
Payday 2 leans harder on execution: Sustained gunfights and stealth execution under pressure
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance3 vs 4
Payday 2 leans harder on variance: Random vault locations, guard patrols, and escrow rolls
Optimization7 vs 6
Metal Gear leans harder on optimization: route and key-item knowledge trivializes replays
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.