I've never been good at parrying. I liked what I played of Sekiro back in 2019, but after a few hours, I knew it wasn't for me. I just couldn't get to grips with the game's combat. It was tough as nails; tougher than any other 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:FromSoftware game I've played, and there was no way to make it less tough (save modding, and I wasn't playing on PC). You couldn't level up and you couldn't call for help. If FromSoftware's other games are mountains you have to work hard to climb, this was a mountain you needed to work hard to free climb.
Failing To Parry Against Commodore Matthew Perry
Even if it had safety nets, Sekiro still would have defeated me. It’s a game laser-focused on parrying, and I can't parry to save my life. This skill issue has reared its ugly head now that I've started playing 2024's samurai open-world action game, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Rise of the Rōnin, especially during an early boss fight against historical figure, Matthew Perry. As in Sekiro, parrying is very important. And, as in Sekiro, I'm only successfully hitting the window, like, ten percent of the time.
Rise of the Rōnin doesn't call this action a parry. It refers to it, more colorfully, as a counterspark.
I've watched videos on how to successfully pull off one of these maneuvers and, despite following a helpful YouTuber's instructions, I'm still whiffing. When an enemy is preparing an unblockable attack, they begin to emanate a red cloud. At the center of the cloud, there is a flash of light. That's the moment you perform your counter, and if you pull it off, you'll stagger your enemy, leaving them open for the meat tenderizer. But no matter how many times I attempt to time my parry to that burst of light, I’ll never get the hang of it. And honestly, the more I try to close the gap, the worse I seem to do.
So Many Mechanics, So Little Time
Maybe the issue is that parrying is one mechanic too many. In Rise of the Rōnin, you can dodge, roll, or jump out of the enemy's path, so why would you even need to parry? In my experience with games that heavily emphasize parrying, it tends to feel like a ‘have to’ mechanic, more than a ‘get to’ mechanic. It's a skillcheck you need to meet to succeed, not something that actively increases the fun. That isn't true of those other mechanics. Dodging? Pretty fun. Pulling off a Flurry Rush in Breath of the Wild is as fun as that game's swordplay gets. Rolling? Always a good time. I spend half my time in Bloodborne rolling through boxes. Jumping? This is a god-tier movement mechanic that powers games as different as Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Titanfall 2.
But parrying? It just doesn't compare. It can be fun when it's optional. Checking an opponent and sending them into a state of staggered confusion isn't without its charms. But when a game forces me to lean into it, pushes me to git gud at nailing one specific button prompt in one tiny window, it just feels like homework.
PSA: Stick With Hi-F෴i Rush Until You Get The Parry
Hi-Fi Rush’s combaꦰt doesn’t come into its ♚own until you get an important ability.
