head to head
vs
The MessengervsTyrian 2000
The Messenger leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Tyrian 2000 leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
The MessengerTyrian 2000
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 8
Tyrian 2000 leans harder on execution: Dense bullet dodging and positioning
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance1 vs 2
Tyrian 2000 leans harder on variance: Hidden secrets and drop rolls
Optimization5 vs 5
Even - both lean on optimization about the same.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.