Parrying in video games is an art form. A window in the middle of an enemy’s attack, which the player can utilize to block the oncoming assault and turn the tide of battle. More difficult to pull off than a dodge or evade move, parrying is a satisfying mechanic that can completely reverse a one-sided assault. Very much embedded in fighting games over the years, the trend for parrying is now common in third-person action titles.
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A possible reason for parrying’s rise in popularity may lie in FromSoftware using the techniquein their popularDark Soulsfranchise. These small windows of opportunity to parry are often displayed as an alert symbol or flash above the attacker’s head or when the strike is about to land. Careful watching for a specific movement or telltale signs is required to pull off the parry and turn the tables on the attacker. Here is a look at some of the games that feature amazing parry mechanics.
6Metroid Dread
This highly popular Nintendo franchise saw many new mechanics added for its fifth entry.Metroidgames star Samus Aran, and players explore strange alien worlds to fight theMetroidor X parasite threats along the way. While players have beenpatiently waiting onMetroid Prime 4news, Nintendo surprised fans with another 2D entry in the form ofMetroid Dread.
Pursued by the relentless EMMI, these alien robots will hunt down Samus across levels as she explores. The parry mechanic seen inMetroid Dreaddebuted inSamus Returnsfor the Nintendo 3DS. Returning to the Nintendo Switch title, the parry can be used on ordinary enemies as well as during finger-twitching scenes while captured by one of the EMMI.
5Arkham Franchise
Batman fans will argue for days over which is the best entry in theArkhamseries.Starting in 2009 withArkham Asylum, the series built by Rocksteady has become one of gaming’s most popular franchises. Set in Gotham City, the locations in the series range from inside the asylum, to patrolling an under-siege Gotham inArkham Knight. While being known as The World’s Greatest Detective, Batman is also a highly skilled fighter when it comes to it.
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The hand-to-hand combat in theArkhamfranchise is heavy and crunchy. Getting into a flow using rhythmic button presses becomes euphoric thanks to the parry system. On the lower difficulty modes, a visual alert when an enemy is about to strike will appear above their head. Pressing the counter button in time will silkily slide Batman into a parry, blocking the attack and allowing the combo to continue. This gives theArkhamfranchise one of the most satisfying hand-to-hand combat systems in video game history.
4Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
This spin-off to the mainMetal Gearseries was an odd addition to the franchise. Playing as Raiden fromMetal Gear Solid 2, players discovered that this was not the stealth-based gameplay they were used to. Instead,Metal Gear Rising: Revengeanceisa hack-and-slash game from Platinum Games.
Platinum Games are well known for their hack-and-slash titleBayonetta. Bringing the team on to make aMetal Geargame was a genius move. The combat is fast and furious, and Raiden uses his sword to slash through enemies in his way. Parrying is quite tricky to pull off inMetal Gear Rising: Revengeance, but highly rewarding when successful.
3Sonic Frontiers
Sonicmight be a strange one for a list of parry systems.SonicFrontiersis itself a strangeSonictitle; it is a proper open-world game with combat. Sonic is stuck in a strange world and must unravel the mysteryas he frees his friends from captivity. Along the way, he must figure out puzzles, as well as take out any bad guys he encounters.
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Across the world, Sonic will run into various enemy types. Most of the enemies can be defeated by repeating homing attacks and chains of unlockable skills. Some enemies, however, require the use of a parry. Pulling them off inSonic Frontiersis quite easy as they have not got strict timing, managing to send a missile back toward one of the end-level bosses is an incredibly cool feeling.
2The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
TheZeldafranchise got some huge changes when thisopen-world iterationarrived.The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildwas an incredible journey that saw Link adventure across an almost post-apocalyptic Hyrule. Along the way, Link must battle enemies looking to take him down.
With deteriorating weapons and all new moves thanks to the sheikah slate, the combat inThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildwas very different from previous entries. Parrying in the game is an advanced technique and tricky to pull off. Players must time the parry precisely to pull one off. Audio cues from the guardians on patrol will alert Link as to when they are about to fire, getting a perfectly timed parry can down these titans much quicker than standard combat.
1Elden Ring
Parrying has never been so crucial as it is in FromSoftware’s games.Dark SoulsandDemon’s Soulsmade the technique infamous in their third-person action-adventure gameplay. These games are all notorious for testing players' skills and patience, evenspawning the notorious ‘git gud’ responsefrom gamers online.Elden Ringis FromSoftware’s magnum opus. It’s a sprawling open-world adventure, set within a From Software fantasy adventure.
Using parries inElden Ringis necessary to survive even the weakest of enemies. A shield must be equipped to perform the move, and then the enemy must perform an attack that can be parried. Learning to use parries early on is the key to surviving those brutal first few hours, but once it is mastered, the feeling of successfully pulling a parry off is unmatched.
