Building comparison
head to head
Shin Megami TenseivsThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Neither is simply harder - they are hard in different places. Shin Megami Tensei demands more variance; The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim demands more execution.
Shin Megami Tensei
Optimization · Pure Optimization
The original post-apocalyptic demon-fusing dungeon crawler where preparation and fusion knowledge decide survival.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Optimization · Pure Optimization
An open-world RPG mostly about discovering and stacking exploitable progression systems.
Shin Megami Tensei leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Shin Megami TenseiThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 3
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim leans clearly harder on execution.
Shin Megami Tensei
First-person menu battles; trivial inputs.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Combat is forgiving; aim and timing rarely punish you.
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Shin Megami Tensei
Demon negotiation is random, not adaptive.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Enemy AI is scripted and exploitable; not adaptive.
Variance5 vs 2
Shin Megami Tensei leans clearly harder on variance.
Shin Megami Tensei
Negotiation rolls, ambushes, and moon-phase RNG bite hard.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Loot tables and leveled lists inject mild randomness.
Optimization8 vs 7
Shin Megami Tensei leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Shin Megami Tensei
Fusion charts, alignment routes, and weakness mapping are solvable.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Skill stacking, enchant loops, and exploits are deeply 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.