head to head
vs
Shin Megami Tensei IVvsWasteland
Shin Megami Tensei IV leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Wasteland leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Shin Megami Tensei IVWasteland
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 0
Shin Megami Tensei IV leans harder on execution: Menu combat with no execution ceiling.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance5 vs 5
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization9 vs 8
Shin Megami Tensei IV leans harder on optimization: Fusion apps, weakness charts, and builds solve the game.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.