head to head
vs
The Need for SpeedvsWing Commander
The Need for Speed leans Execution (Pure Mechanics); Wing Commander leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
The Need for SpeedWing Commander
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 7
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization3 vs 4
Wing Commander leans harder on optimization: Learning enemy patterns and mission branches converges
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.