head to head
vs
Running With RiflesvsSWAT 4
Running With Rifles leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); SWAT 4 leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Running With RiflesSWAT 4
Axis by axis
Execution6 vs 5
Running With Rifles leans harder on execution: Top-down aim and cover movement decide individual firefights
Reads3 vs 1
Running With Rifles leans harder on reads: Mostly AI hordes; human servers add mild prediction
Variance3 vs 3
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization5 vs 6
SWAT 4 leans harder on optimization: tactics and equipment loadouts 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.