Building comparison
head to head
The Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimvsThis Is the Police
Neither is simply harder - they are hard in different places. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim demands more execution; This Is the Police demands more variance.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Optimization · Pure Optimization
An open-world RPG mostly about discovering and stacking exploitable progression systems.
This Is the Police
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A noir management game where a corrupt retiring police chief juggles dispatches, mobsters, and money.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); This Is the Police leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
The Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimThis Is the Police
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 1
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim leans clearly harder on execution.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Combat is forgiving; aim and timing rarely punish you.
This Is the Police
Menu-driven dispatching, no dexterity
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Enemy AI is scripted and exploitable; not adaptive.
This Is the Police
Mob and city events are scripted
Variance2 vs 4
This Is the Police leans clearly harder on variance.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Loot tables and leveled lists inject mild randomness.
This Is the Police
Call outcomes and officer rolls are uncertain
Optimization7 vs 7
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Skill stacking, enchant loops, and exploits are deeply solvable.
This Is the Police
Staffing, dispatch triage, and cash management 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.