head to head
Neither is harder. They score identically on all four axes, so the difference between them is in kind, not degree.

Execution · Practiced Mastery
id Software's post-apocalyptic shooter mixing crisp gunplay with buggy racing.
Execution · Practiced Mastery
Aiming under pressure while learning fixed demon patterns and light-versus-dark puzzle rules.
Rage leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Shadows of the Damned leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Rage
id-style gunplay precision against agile bandits.
Shadows of the Damned
Third-person aim and dodge timing carry every demon fight
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Rage
Enemy mobility is scripted animation, not adaptation.
Shadows of the Damned
Demons and bosses run fixed patterns, nothing adapts
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Rage
First-run unknowns in dungeons and loot.
Shadows of the Damned
Encounters are scripted; little randomness once seen
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Rage
Crafting, ammo economy, and wingstick usage reward planning.
Shadows of the Damned
Learning boss patterns and light-dark mechanics solves each fight
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.