Building comparison
head to head
Pokemon SunvsPortal 2
Neither is simply harder - they are hard in different places. Pokemon Sun demands more variance; Portal 2 demands more execution.
Pokemon Sun
Optimization · Pure Optimization
An Alolan island-trial reinvention of the Pokemon formula that swaps gyms for totem battles.
Portal 2
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A first-person puzzle game where seeing the solution is the whole skill.
Pokemon Sun leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Portal 2 leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Pokemon SunPortal 2
Axis by axis
Execution0 vs 3
Portal 2 leans clearly harder on execution.
Pokemon Sun
Turn-based menus only
Portal 2
Portal placement requires some precision but timing is lenient.
Reads2 vs 0
Pokemon Sun leans clearly harder on reads.
Pokemon Sun
Totem battles are scripted, not adaptive
Portal 2
No opponent; puzzles are static.
Variance3 vs 0
Pokemon Sun leans clearly harder on variance.
Pokemon Sun
SOS calls, encounters, and catch rolls add luck
Portal 2
Puzzles are deterministic with no randomness.
Optimization8 vs 9
Portal 2 leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Pokemon Sun
Trial puzzles and team matchups carry the game
Portal 2
Solving the puzzle's logic IS the entire game.
A matching score does not mean a matching test. Two games can both sit at 10 on execution and demand completely different things of you - which is why the reasoning above matters more than the number beside it.