Building comparison
head to head
Shadowrun ReturnsvsThis Is the Police 2
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.
Shadowrun Returns
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A cyberpunk tactics game where karma allocation and archetype synergies define run efficiency.
This Is the Police 2
Optimization · Systems & Chaos
Managing an unreliable police roster against random calls and solvable tactics.
Shadowrun Returns leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); This Is the Police 2 leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos).
Shadowrun ReturnsThis Is the Police 2
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 1
Shadowrun Returns leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Shadowrun Returns
Turn-based tactical combat; cover positioning deliberate not reactive
This Is the Police 2
Menu management and slow tactical turns need no dexterity
Reads1 vs 1
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Shadowrun Returns
Enemy IC and guards run scripted patrol and aggro routines
This Is the Police 2
Story actors and criminals are scripted
Variance4 vs 5
This Is the Police 2 leans a little harder on variance, though the gap is small.
Shadowrun Returns
Hidden enemy positioning and matrix node layouts provide first-run unknowns
This Is the Police 2
Call outcomes and officer quirks roll unpredictably
Optimization7 vs 7
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Shadowrun Returns
Karma allocation and archetype synergies have known dominant configurations
This Is the Police 2
Roster management, dispatch triage and tactical positioning are solvable
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.