head to head

Of Orcs and Men cover artvsThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim cover art

Of Orcs and MenvsThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Of Orcs and Men leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).

EXECUTION3 /10READS0 /10VARIANCE1 /10OPTIMIZATION6 /10
Of Orcs and MenThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Axis by axis

Execution3 vs 3

Even - both lean on execution about the same.

Reads0 vs 0

Even - both lean on reads about the same.

Variance1 vs 2

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim leans harder on variance: Loot tables and leveled lists inject mild randomness.

Optimization6 vs 7

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim leans harder on optimization: Skill stacking, enchant loops, and exploits are deeply solvable.

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

Of Orcs and Men

full breakdown

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim