head to head

SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars cover artvsThe Elder Scrolls Online cover art

SpellForce 2: Shadow WarsvsThe Elder Scrolls Online

SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); The Elder Scrolls Online leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).

EXECUTION4 /10READS3 /10VARIANCE2 /10OPTIMIZATION8 /10
SpellForce 2: Shadow WarsThe Elder Scrolls Online

Axis by axis

Execution4 vs 5

The Elder Scrolls Online leans harder on execution: Action combat with weaving and rotations

Reads3 vs 3

Even - both lean on reads about the same.

Variance2 vs 2

Even - both lean on variance about the same.

Optimization8 vs 7

SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars leans harder on optimization: build orders and hero builds dominate strategy

Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.

full breakdown

SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars

full breakdown

The Elder Scrolls Online