head to head
vs
Octopath TravelervsPokemon XD: Gale of Darkness
Octopath Traveler leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Octopath TravelerPokemon XD: Gale of Darkness
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 0
Octopath Traveler leans harder on execution: Turn-based, no input demand
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance3 vs 3
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization9 vs 8
Octopath Traveler leans harder on optimization: Job, break-boost, party routing deeply rewarded
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.