head to head
vs
Neon AbyssvsReturnal
Neon Abyss leans Execution (Twitch Chaos); Returnal leans Execution (Twitch Chaos).
Neon AbyssReturnal
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 8
Returnal leans harder on execution: Bullet-hell dodge and aim under pressure
Reads0 vs 2
Returnal leans harder on reads: Bosses scripted, patterns not adaptive
Variance7 vs 7
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization5 vs 6
Returnal leans harder on optimization: Build synergies and route planning
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.