head to head
vs
Mortal Kombat XvsVirtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown
Mortal Kombat X leans Execution (Grand Arena); Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown leans Execution (Grand Arena).
Mortal Kombat XVirtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown
Axis by axis
Execution8 vs 9
Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown leans harder on execution: Frame-precise evade throws and just-frame sabaki demands are unforgiving
Reads8 vs 9
Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown leans harder on reads: Constant throw-tech guessing and option-select reads against human opponents
Variance1 vs 1
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization6 vs 8
Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown leans harder on optimization: Frame data study and throw-tech percentages are among the deepest in the genre
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.