Ranking "Parry" Abilities in Video Games

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To the people who suggested this idea, I had no idea what I was signing up for. Would do again. And of course Elden Ring isn't on here, it literally just came out yesterday. Also I had to re-record some of these parts with a sinus infection, so if some of the voice audio sounds slightly different at times, that's why.
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2:35 - Hollow Knight
5:21 - Dark Souls
9:07 - Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
13:59 - Devil May Cry
17:43 - Bloodborne
20:35 - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
25:09 - God of War
29:14 - Dishonored
33:11 - Ender Lilies
37:54 - Blasphemous
41:30 - GRIME
45:14 - Dead Cells
47:52 - Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
51:29 - Cuphead
I may update this list with an Elden Ring entry after I've played it enough to have an opinion on it, but until then, ayyyyy.
MUSIC USED:
► ES_Tudor
► ES_The Wedding Feast
► ES_The White Birch
► ES_A Cold Wind
► ES_Japanese Garden
► Hellblade: Battle March Theme
► DMC4: Lady's Request
► Dishonored: Fight or Flee
► Salt & Sanctuary: Prophecy
► Ender Lilies: Witch's Breath
► Blasphemous: Tierras de Azafran
► MGR: Black Sea Theme
► Cuphead: Don't Deal With the Devil (Instrumental)
Here's that one Bloodborne video I mentioned: • Bloodborne ► Damage Nu...

[@Rusty._]

Download GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon Here! ► bit.ly/3LNmwbr

[@teslercoil5174]

In devil may cry 5 you can also parry attack by having a timed collision with you own attacks. This works for all characters

[@kassmalz2069]

No Monster hunter generations ultimate Longsword valor style PARRY sadge

[@EvermoreUnicorn]

No For Honor is a crime

[@dovahkiin_brasil]

Nothing beats the neutral special: the gun

[@user-hz3lh7dd1t]

For honor

[@Ruben02.12]

@@user-hz3lh7dd1t bulwark flips a gun( he can also flip jump attacks but that's a bit harder)

[@shadow_death7103]

For honor, elden ring.

[@meruzhansargsyan1476]

bloodborne

[@kaos7116]

The comments not getting the chaos refrence lmaoo

[@biddle2944]

I never really made use of the parry mechanic in Hollow Knight because for me it was too inconsistent and definitely felt like a "happy accident" just like you said. That changed at the Nightmare King Grimm fight. Parrying his upward slice attack was literally how I survived and managed to beat him. Can't do it consistently against anyone else XD

[@chatfou57]

For me it's the first hit in Pure Vessel's triple slash that got stupidly consistent for no apparent reason (it barely even matters whether I get it or not since I go over his head and hit him with a down pogo, the parry just tends to happen because I apparently have insane consistency with my reaction time (yes, I'm slow enough that I have to jump the moment I realise what attack is happening))

[@psychonautism]

@@chatfou57 honestly same lmaooo😭

[@minecraftmadlad3593]

@@chatfou57 ye that's the only time I use parries purposefully

[@gabrielbarron7667]

For me its sadly not a very good boss that I've got consistent parrys with but soul warrior is mine

[@autisticturtle1849]

It’s high risk very low reward

[@rasheedhawkins8963]

The gun has to be my favorite. It is completely wrong and should not be possible, yet it is so perfect. I’m also biased because Bloodborne is one of, if not my favorite game of all time.

[@SorowFame]

Nothing will beat just shooting your opponent, just ask Isshin.

[@roshan6999]

@@SorowFame Hesitation is defeat after all

[@sekiro_the_one-armed_wolf]

Idk being shot in the face right before you hit someone will stagger you I think

[@roshan6999]

@@sekiro_the_one-armed_wolf in Britain Being shot in the face is a slight inconvenience

[@Kn1ghtborne]

The parry + riposte system in bloodborne feels more rewarding than darksouls and elden ring because if you trade for it you can heal all the way back to 100% with a crit It's the most clutch parry mechanic of all time

[@filimental]

I love that in sekiro the parry becomes a crucial part of hyper aggressive gameplay. In a lot of cases you can make fights much easier by attacking until they parry you and then you just parry their counter and rinse and repeat. And nothing reinforces that aggression Like the mikiri counter which requires you to dodge into the attack. All together, the mechanics of sekiro reward you for finishing fights as quickly as possible. No other game puts me in the kind of flow state that sekiro does. And unlike other souls games, when you beat a boss super quickly, it isn’t because you had the strongest gear, or the best spell, but because you completely mastered and dominated them.

[@sadsworth4605]

Sekiro is much above all dark souls it's not "souls like game" it's sekiro like game infact newer games should use sekiros system

[@amateurtakeongaming4298]

@@sadsworth4605 sifu copied that exact posture and parry system from sekiro

[@sekiro_the_one-armed_wolf]

@@sadsworth4605 sekiro is 100% a souls like lmao

[@FredTanAustin]

@@amateurtakeongaming4298 which is awesome! It worked perfect for the combat system. The perfect 10 hour pallet cleanser before elden ring

[@ScrodumHat]

and the noise it makes 😩

[@nubbs4753]

Can’t forget the ultrakill parry where you can parry your own shots and a massive corpse’s punches.

[@Bababooey759]

Aka shoot ur bullets to make them go faster

[@nezzu2656]

@@Bababooey759 *punch

[@calliecalamity8787]

That sounds awesome

[@alfonshedstrom9859]

Punch your own bullets to make them stronger and one of the strongest tools is flipping a coin

[@NargacugaMyBeloved]

@@nezzu2656 he punches multiple times so punches works here

[@night1952]

Just wanted to mention that DMC has three parry mechanics, not just Royalguard. You can also parry like in Hollow Knight with your own attacks but in DMC it's actually usefull, it knocks enemies away and gives a ton of Style and DT, if it's a ranged attack it will get reflected back to the enemy too, which can deal massive damage. The other parry system is Nero's buster, it can catch certain melee attacks (mostly charges like Vergil's dive) and ranged attacks like Credo's spears.

[@_Sterben_]

hey nice profile pic lol

[@MadMax22]

Oh yea, I guess you could count some off neros grabs.

[@omega6749]

Yeah, I love the massive freedom and variety of parries in Devil May Cry

[@Mike-mx2sm]

you also can taunt to parry in some cases, such as nero’s drop kick.

[@night1952]

@@Mike-mx2sm yeaah, that's why i love Nero, he has the best taunts, like the reload that colors up your bullets or his air taunt that you can use to max act.

[@nyxiiine]

Royal Guard is pretty fun to me tbh, but DMC5 also lets you parry almost every weapon attack with the right timing, as any character.

[@jacemoran1190]

What I like about royal guard specifically is the ability to store it instead of the instant gratification of other parrys

[@denglong7180]

Royal guards damage is fucking insane....

[@redreaper9622]

Yes. ROYALGUARD-

[@kurtobidelnoire2910]

If you're good enough. It can even lead to a full combo since enemies get launched into the air after perfectly timing a royal release. In Dmc4 tho, royal guard has a more jacked playstyle involving inertia. Basically you turn into superman.

[@raxzen-1610]

What attack can you not block with royalguard?

[@mat_max]

The dodge is pretty much the first unlock you can buy in Metal Gear Rising. Also the stealth is more to avoid combat if you're not good enough than something the game incentives you and rewards you for

[@i22367]

Yeah idk if he beat the game yet or not but there is hardly any way to miss it

[@xevious21]

You didn't watch the video all the way did you?

[@deathtoraiden2080]

Asking a zoomer to look at a moveset list is like asking a vampire to read the bible.

[@sharkonstage]

I honestly really liked the parry in Ender Lillies, it was basically a boss exclusive ability. First: it was super useful against some attacks event though they were basically always fair Second: it was difficult to time, especially because of some tricky attack animations from a few bosses However third: it's hella rewarding to time it, you take no damage and deal a ton yourself I also never really ran out of it since I used it defensively, it's a really cool ability

[@chaoticdetectivepeach]

Hear me out, there's a ring that lets you parry that works way better, as long as you don't move around too much

[@sharkonstage]

@@chaoticdetectivepeach I don't remember that sadly

[@GlassySlime]

@@sharkonstage the ring cost 0 relic slots so it was good but it didnt do any counter attack damage

[@sharkonstage]

@@GlassySlime I guess I just equipped it and forgot

[@sharkonstage]

@@GlassySlime nevermind I looked it up and remembered, it was awesome and I used it a ton

[@Ivrin3]

Devil May Cry 4 was the best for me in that regard. I remember fighting this one boss, chucking lances at my face and I couldn’t beat him. Then I realized I can use my “grab” ability just as the lance is flying towards me and Nero would grab it from the air, do this ridiculous wind-up and throw it right into the boss’s chest. Empowering.

[@joaocabaco9232]

That boss is so fucking cool, you can also do the same with vergil on dmc5, you grab him as he's flying towards you and you spike him on the floor

[@Ivrin3]

I’ve still yet to play DMC 5. I really want to, but I played 4 in my best “gamer years”, so I’m afraid my gameplay will be a lot less flashy and impressive than it used to be xD

[@sonofsparda9739]

Dmc5 is worth it also if you play as Vergil and use your ex taunt during the dante fight while you have a sss rank and oh can dante will have a dance off

[@denglong7180]

@@sonofsparda9739 it's really cool that itsuno put so much tiny details into devil may cry 5... likely his last dmc

[@redreaper9622]

Pretty sure that’s the Credo boss fight.

[@mleppp1546]

I really like how Furi handles parries, because it really fits with the fast paced combat it creates. It makes a streamlined and fair way to get health that teaches you how to telegraph bosses really quickly. It’s never disruptive and creates so many DPS opportunities if you learn how it works. It’s repetition done right, something Furi excels at. It’s such an integral part of the combat coupled with the relatively simple mechanics :) Perfect Parries are even better, because it’s so wonderful to see that cool animation when you hit the button at the perfect time. You get ab interesting and dynamic animation that shows the player character rising above the challenges they’re facing, as well as a pretty chunk of damage. Overall, Furi has a simple and efficient parry mechanic, and I highly recommend it.

[@notaspider4084]

What I love about Dark Souls is you don't even need a shield to parry. It feels really fun to just slap an enemy's attack away with your bare hand.

[@Double-Negative]

The parry system in the witcher 3 is pretty underpowered. For 1 on 1 fights against human enemies, parrying has a large input window, stuns the enemy and can even reflect arrows with an ability. It's also the primary way to fight opponents with shields. However, if the opponent doesn't have a shield it's easier just to spam the fast attack and stun lock them. The animation is also too long to use against groups. And parrying just doesn't work on monster attacks, so you don't even have the option to use it most of the time

[@pumblegrump]

Yeah it took me a while to realize how unintuitive the combat is, it felt exciting and complex the first time I played but upon second and third playthroughs I got bored with combat pretty quick.

[@mark0183]

Considering cdpr opened the coding for modders maybe they can implement it

[@Percival917]

The parry ("melee counter") in Metroid Samus Returns and Dread has to be understood in context. Before Samus Returns on the 3DS, the only real defensive measure you had in the Metroid series was just moving around. And you didn't have many offensive options, either, besides spamming missiles. Now Samus Returns comes along and introduces the Melee Counter, giving you something else to do in fights. Only problem is, the melee counter makes you sit still, and many argued that killed the pace of the gameplay... Sure, fam. There's also the fact that, similarly to Senua, every parryable attack is indicated with both an audio and visual cue. So, you'd have to be completely out of it to not see a parry window coming. On the bright side, you get more goodies for killing normal enemies after parrying them, so abusing the parry means you can survive a lot more easily. And in boss fights, even against widdle baby gamma metroids, parrying often gives you a cinematic counter where you have another opportunity to do the usual Metroid thing of spamming missiles. What Dread adds is the running melee counter, which actually does some damage, outright killing the weakest enemies in the game. It also makes the parry much more intuitive to use, but some attacks can ONLY be parried with the running counter and it's not always clear which ones those are. For example, some of the Chozo soldiers have shields which they can ram you with, and the normal melee counter won't do shit to a shield slamming against you. Took me a few tries before I used the running melee and broke the shield outright, making that fight much easier. But adding to the cinematic flair is the pose Samus strikes after a successful running melee counter, making the riposte even more satisfying. So, there's that.

[@redreaper9622]

While I understand that you dislike the penalty, I feel like it’s sort of a weird gripe to have. The penalty is meant to incentivize you to perfect and master the Style, and is more forgiving than the earlier Parries in the list where you essentially get COMPLETELY decked if you mess up, (with a near identical amount of frames to work with at times). The penalties in earlier games served as an actual **reward,** considering that if you completely messed up you’d get decked because you F-d the timing, and if you did it terribly enough your guard would BREAK, leaving open for worse damage than THAT. Essentially leaving you with Perfect > Flawed Guard > Broken Guard. And worse still, most agree that DMC3-4 had sort of arbitrary values or attacks. Sometimes it’s able to defend against the unstoppable and other times it’s unable to block basic enemy attacks. There wasn’t a real indicator unless you were skilled enough to keep track of exactly how you used it in a run while also performing all the other tasks that go with fighting in a game with as much mechanical depth as DMC offers. (And keeping track of how much Rage you had in 3 was just 3 blinking lights in a corner in comparison to our newfound Red Wheel.) So switching to **DT** is actually a MASSIVE increase. You now have a VISUAL indicator of what your Royal Guard can do, and similar to how Focus works you’ll be fighting defensively if you want to bring it up quickly, but you could easily build up DT through normal attacks (identical to how Focus works). The Royal Guard defensive option has a few outlets, too. Unlike some parries, which merely serve to break the stance of an enemy do you can whale on him or a time slow so you can punish their error, you can yourself choose when and how the RG option will behave in a given scenario. Middle of an Enemy’s Attack Animation? Boom, you can do that. You want to save it for the Boss Fight? You can store it all up and go ham if you want. And depending on the game you can even go as far as HEAL YOURSELF if you’re in need of Health or turn yourself (3) into a Juggernaut that allows you to no sell damage while you get all Stylish on your opponents (4.) And yeah, Blocks can block grabs, but Perfect Blocks had their own benefits at times-Like being able to block AOE attacks like Judgement Cut End or counter **counterattacks.** It works as a punishing option, a get out of jail free card, a health regeneration factor, a Mario Super Star, all at once. The fact it isn’t consistent through the games is fair, but I think DMC5 truly perfected and refined the Royal Guard mechanic in big ways that are definitely notable. Edit: Someone pointed this out to me, so I’m going to mention it here as a P.S. If you’re good enough with Royalguard, even AFTER you’ve blown your enemy half to shit, (as in, Post Release, your enemy is like a GOOD DISTANCE AWAY), you can still make FULL ON COMBOS on your opponent as long as you’ve achieved enough skill with it and the other weapons at your disposal. Further, you can expand that to include multiple Releases within a combo in multi-enemy scenarios if you’re skilled enough to be beating the tar out of someone and know exactly when to RG. (Each enemy within DMC5 has set tells and animations that inform a keen eyed player when, where, and if you’ve played the entire story mode, *how* they will attack.) This means on Royalguard *alone* you can complete entire runs without taking damage once and having used the full meter in question SEVERAL times. Also, additional mechanic I FORGOT to mention is that if you perfect block in DMC5 you *GAIN* DT. (Meaning you’re not ONLY just being rewarded by not dying, the plethora of combo starters and enders, stored up damage, etc. etc., but ALSO you straight up gain DT meter, you know, your *all important super form,* mechanic in the game?) TL;DR, Royalguard is GOATED and it should’ve been A rank or higher imo.

[@NoName-ns6xr]

Correct opinion, you are a true gigachad that made actual good points unlike the casual trash in the video that made lame excuses. Dmc parry is easily s tier imo

[@DestinySpider]

Also being able to use RG for guarcancels is pretty dope. Not nearly as versatile in 4 and 5 as it is in 3, but still it adds quite a bit to the game being able to Million Stab Guardcancel or use air blocks for height adjustment/guardflying (4) and 0-height shenanigans (5)

[@ariannadravis3934]

@@NoName-ns6xr That's a tiny bit harsh

[@shitemastermike]

yea honestly dmc1 and dmc5 have the best sword parries, its not explained to the player and at first its a happy accident but as you continue to play youll realize how great it is dmc3 had it but i never felt rewarded for doing it tbh, most of the enemy attacks in dmc4 to my knowledge are better off dodged or RG'd

[@AidanRatnage]

I really enjoyed the challenge of getting Ghost, Clean ?Hands and Mostly Flesh and Steel in my first playthrough of Dishonored. I found it fun.

[@anagoth9]

Going the Ghost/Pacifist route is a lot of fun in both games but he's right that it's a head-scratcher of a design choice considering the game practically begs you to go genocide route with all the lethal powers and skills it gives you.

[@720pchannel]

​@@anagoth9replayability

[@timogul]

I'm consistently shocked to find Dishonored players that _don't_ aim for "ghost" by default. also, no classic Assassin's Creed games? Counterkills were the meat and potatoes of those games.

[@M4x_P0w3r]

@@EllaKarhu Well, if the game encourages a stealthy playstyle, why make the combat system so effective? If anything, you should be weak as hell, not a one man army

[@M4x_P0w3r]

@@EllaKarhu Yeah, exactly what I'm saying. However, I have to say, despite not having played this game, seeing how smooth the combat it makes me want to go full Rambo and shooting, stabbing and exploding every living creature once I do play it.

[@cosmic2750]

Imo, I think my favorite parry is from Sekiro. Sure, its nothing too flashy or complex, but its sure badass as hell to land 5 perfect parries in a row, more than landing a parry-riposte in Dark Souls/Bloodborne.

[@abrahamrangel2326]

Plus is far more epic, a giant monkey with a sword charges at you and you just deflect it without moving back

[@nightstrike7870]

@@abrahamrangel2326 and then, the monkey falls down, staggered, with the head open for a prosthetic spear thrust and pullback to rip the centipede out of his body, dealing massive posture and vitality damage

[@mudalad1215]

deepwoken

[@kimballblack2668]

RuStY tHeRe AcTuAlY iS a DoDgE iN mEtAl GeAr. ;) In all seriousness, though, as someone who’s been looking into content creation recently, I understand the difficulty of doing all this on your own, especially with personal problems going on. (I hope you’re doing ok) I love your videos and your streams because of how genuine and real you are about things. You’re not afraid to speak your mind, or call people out for being stupid. You’re aware of your own flaws, and you acknowledge them. And, most of all, you’re just fun to watch. Thank you for continuing to make wonderful content, and please know that there are people who appreciate the effort you put into these videos. ❤️

[@ASpookyFellow]

29:15 I don't understand your take on Dishonored here. I'll admit that I'm heavily biased, as I've played Dishonored ever since I was a kid and I've loved it for a long time. That being said, I don't think Dishonored punishes you for engaging with it's combat at all. Sure it makes levels harder, but if you're going for a high chaos run then you'd probably enjoy more guards to fight anyways. The game also presents you with a bad ending when you murder everyoneyou see, but I feel like that's just a natural part of the world. Of course the empire would go to shit if everyone was dead. Besides, the only reason that I went for the good ending was because I found it more fun. I've never seen a bad ending discourage somebody from playing like a violent maniac (which is also super fun, Dishonored did really good at making both routes fun in their own ways imo). A game that punishes you for your actions would disincentivize those actions. Instead, Dishonored provides more opportunities to engage with the combat by providing more enemies and increasing the difficulty. You also say that the combat is the unequivocal most fun way to play the game. I disagree. It's a ton of fun, but I personally enjoy the stealth far more. It's a different set of challenges that appeals to me more, and as a game inspired by Theif, I'd say that the game was designed more around the stealth than the combat. The game doesn't punish you for murder as much as it incentivizes stealth. Overall, I enjoyed your video but I personally disagreed with your take on Dishonored. As the type of pretentious nerd that would write a paragraph or two to defend the honor of a 10 year old game, an hour long video dissecting a common videogame mechanic and comparing how different games incorporate it into their control schemes is right up my valley, but as much as I enjoyed your video I just can't understand the anger at Dishonored. In conclusion, Dishonored is objectively one of the videogames ever made and anyone who doesn't agree with me shall be turned into a pillar of salt when the day of reckoning comes. Love you all and thank you for tolerating my soapbox rant.

[@ToxicSoul03]

I completely agree with you and was also considerably tilted on his take with Dishonored, his literal complaint was “how dare the game make more enemies because i kill people grr”

[@MythicMachina]

So, i'm someone who really doesn't like Dishonored. The problem he was talking about isn't your actions having consequences, it's how the gameplay doesn't interact with each other and desentivises you from playing a certain way. Dishonored is a game where it really wants you to play stealth, but it has mechanics that fly in the face of that. Why build an entire combat system if you aren't going to let the player use it? Why does the game have to be arbitrarily separate like that and actively lock half of the game away from the player if you choose to play a certain way? Either make the mechanics lend itself to steatlh based themes the game wants you to do, or get rid of them entirely. Better yet, give the player non-lethal options for combat that make it so you can still experience the combat while not being forced into the evil route. Build the game around the player's choices without just eccesntially removing a huge part of the game if they choose that option. The problem isn't your actions having consequences, the problem is that it feels like the game is at constant war with what it wants to be and effectively punishes the player for using certain mechanics without giving them a good alternative.

[@evrimenustun9548]

@@MythicMachina " the problem is that it feels like the game is at constant war with what it wants to be" That really is not true for these games in general. They're meant to be replayable experiences where your playstyle during each playthrough can be so vastly different that it might feel like an entirely new game. It's a stealth game first and foremost, sure. But it most certainly is also designed to be a sandbox experience where almost every form of playstyle is viable. That's the whole design philosophy of immersive sims. You're not really punished when the game adds more prepared, populated guards, rats and sick civilians. It's rather the game adapting to your playstyle to make combat more engaging. Besides, what kind of a good stealth game doesn't give you the option to do legit combats? Splinter Cell, Hitman and Metal Gear all have viable combat tools given to you should you choose to play that way when shit goes south. You're not forced to retry the moment some dude has an exclamation mark at the top of his head and that's what makes them fun experiences. It's less about winning or losing and more about player expression.

[@EvansMine]

Damn this is exactly what I came to say. Fully agree with your take here

[@gregburns4391]

Referring to the section talking about dishonored: If a game's narrative focuses on the moral implications of player actions, isn't it better to have a robust fun combat system? Requiring one to eschew the fun mechanic in order to make a positive influence. Otherwise it's not a choice at all. It's just wish fulfillment. I mean that's fine and all but very much not the vibe dishonored is going for.

[@D_Abellus]

As a long time Dishonored fan, the game also rewards a lethal playstyle by giving you more and more challenging combat encounters. It can get really hard near the late game with how many enemies end up spawning from full lethal playthroughs, and so it makes you engage more with your mechanics like grenades and traps.

[@WhiteKnuckleRide512]

Also the idea that more effort was put into the lethal route is absurd. Personally I find lethal guns-blazings runs of the game ridiculously repetitive.

[@ToxicSoul03]

Yeah his opinion on Dishonored was utter BS lol.

[@anagoth9]

It's arguably good from a storytelling standpoint but it's kinda ass from a game design standpoint. The games are still super fun, but it's really odd that they spent time developing all these tools just to disincentivize you from using them.

[@D_Abellus]

@@anagoth9 I don't think its disincentivized though. The story gives you a darker ending, but the game gives you pretty well done difficulty curve by upping how many guards there are and a variety of guards. On a gameplay level the player is getting rewarded with harder more varied combat challenges and on the story level its to instill how much of a badass death machine that Corvo is becoming. I think most people wanted to insert themselves into Corvos shoes since he is a silent protagonist and felt like they were being called out for how they played the game. I went into Dishonored wanting a stealth experience over an action experience so I didn't have that disconnect. Though I would say Dishonored 2 makes a better combat system since you can non-lethally do combat in that game.

[@tehuselessguig3138]

the Hollow Knight parry is so... satisfying. the visuals and sound effect really brings up the "knightly bevavior from a very small creature" vibe the whole game exudes. you're a small bug, smaller than almost all of your opponents, and yet you're a knight who knows how to use its weapon, and has this inherent nobility in its behavior when clashing swords. i dunno if that makes sense, but that's why i love it so much.

[@frankcl1]

Nice video, but I have to disagree with you about Dishonored. Playing evil gives you the most epic and fun ending, that's not what I'd call "punishing the player".

[@griss295]

I feel like ULTRAKILL's feedbacker arm (the parry fist) would have toppled this list Every parry heals to max hp, reflects the projectile/damages the attacker, slows down the game for a split second and has a noise that's pure dopamine. And you can parry almost anything

[@emberthecatgirl8796]

And Ghostrunner's block/deflect. There's a whole bossfight dedicated to parry, an enemy that can only be defeated with a parry and only 3 enemies shoot stuff that can't be deflected (the sniper, the robot and the cyborg/hybrid). It's very satisfying when you go a full deflect build and just abuse it in a Hardcore playthrough.

[@ScrodumHat]

that just sounds overpowered

[@emberthecatgirl8796]

@@ScrodumHat not really, the bullets fly about as fast as Doom and you also heal by bathing in the blood of your opponents

[@WildWolfGod]

I love Hellblade and seeing someone almost launch into an essay mid-video about it just brings a smile to my face.

[@TheXLStrike]

Started on your content just cause I'm obsessed with Hollow Knight right now, but after watching this all the way through I realize I'm not watching you simply cause you talk about my favorite game. Keep up the good work bro

[@HorseFlyKing]

Great video! I think you missed one detail regarding Blasphemous though. It took me awhile to figure it out because the game doesn't make it obvious at all. If you successfully parry an enemy then press the attack button right as you retaliate, you perform a "righteous riposte" and instantly kill the enemy. Obviously this doesn't work on projectiles and stuff, but it's a pretty effective mechanic that is satisfying and makes most combat much faster once you master the timing. Anyways - I'm a Blasphemous shill and had to say something lol. Good content, keep it up! EDIT: To correct myself- performing a Righteous Riposte does not instantly kill the enemy but rather staggers them for an Execution. I only found out about this move because I was completing the Achievements and ran into it.

[@doctorwhouse3881]

It's not an insta-kill (like executions), but it does deal a whole lot of damage and splash into other enemies in the general area.

[@HorseFlyKing]

@@doctorwhouse3881 it staggers the enemy to allow an execution next. You can one-shot most enemies that don't knock you back when you parry.

[@doctorwhouse3881]

@@HorseFlyKing It's not a guaranteed execution able state, though. I think the thrust has a higher chance of that, though obviously parrying is safer most of the time.

[@HorseFlyKing]

@Doctor Whouse no, it absolutely does. Look up Righteous Riposte. It took me forever to figure this out. It's different than the guaranteed retaliatory strike after a parry

[@HorseFlyKing]

@@doctorwhouse3881 reply didn't work for some reason. See my other comment

[@nothing4youhere540]

I'm the kind of psychopath who played Cuphead for days on end until I could beat every stage at max difficulty with an S rank. I will never get that week back, nor the twelve years it took off my lifespan due to lack of sleep XD

[@KingCrusoe]

It was awesomely satisfying to see you praise Grime so much. I bought it because it looked cool and then finally gave it a shot in late December 2021 and it SHOT up to my Game of the Year last year, heads and shoulders above most other games I've played. It was just so fun, satisfying, and challenging in a while that I personally found more enjoyable than most other games.

[@saito2582]

That is so cool!! I’m personally waiting for Grime to come to Switch since I highly doubt that my laptop will be able to run it. It’s really cool to see a game you knew from the beginning get praise and more attention, I can’t wait to play it for myself.

[@crazygabe2000]

The party from 3rd strike still reigns supreme for me, the sound, the feeling of actually doing it with your hands, how it flips the game inside out.

[@zoidbergswhoop]

*Curse of the Dead Gods* is one of my favorite rogue-lites of all time. Parrying in that game is basically the entire spectrum of what anyone could think of a parry; -Parry with anything, parry without anything. (as in literally bare-handed (yes, I know its a torch, shut up mom)) -Parry hard, parry soft. (right on time or partial) -Parry while moving (shield charge) parry while standing still. -Parry projectiles, parry AOEs, obviously, parry melee. -Parry to create projectiles, AOEs or instant melee damage (shields are kinda wild, ngl) -Parry to inflict status/elemental ailments. Even ones you otherwise can't inflict. (ye olde uno-reverse) -Parry combos by SPAMMING PARRY (success may vary (hey, that rhymed)) -Parry only. As in don't do anything else. Make a PARRY BUILD. This is your damage output now: Their damage output. OUR damage output. (*faint USSR anthem*) -Never ever, in your entire playthrough of the whole game, parry even a single time. Dodging is absolutely viable. (I love the devs for this one) -Attempt to parry, fail miserably, equip the 25% auto-parry-chance shield and pretend thats all you, tiger. tl;dr: play Curse of the Dead Gods. It fucks. Hard.

[@HypernovaBolts11]

I'd give the Surge 2 a try. I've heard the directional parry system is quite rewarding in that one. Full disclosure, I still haven't played it yet. First heard of it from Shammy but I haven't gotten around to it.

[@JimmyPizzaDelivery]

I can comment on this a year later, and will say the Directional Parry system is pretty feccin epic.

[@12345abxdefghijk]

Rusty, please never change! Im pretty sure I played 2 of the games on this list, so I was watching this just for your personality! And I had a great time! Also sorry you got laryngitis, I had it a year or so ago

[@jimijenkins2548]

Thanks Oryx. How's it feel knowing you're gonna be story-relevant soon?

[@Sunfish22]

I'm surprised that The Surge 2 isn't here due to the fact it is in his range of games and it has a great perry mechanic that technically works the same way MGS Revengeance does but a couple additional things this too it that also improves it in general like the limb targeting system and the dodge mechanic that honestly is better than most games made then and now

[@yeshua7238]

Royal guard is one of Dante’s styles. There’s a completely separate parry mechanic across all characters and their melee weapons in DMC. Hitting perfect Guards and Releases consistently is also totally feasible. People do it, including me. A good way to get better is loading into a level with an empty load out and clearing it with Royal Guard alone. In 5, you can practice against all standard enemies in The Void, and you can queue up specific boss fights in Bloody Palace after beating them by selecting the “Warm Up” option in the menu. The timing for perfect guarding which you’ve claimed feels different has actually been the same six frame window since the third game. What changes are the additional mechanics of Royal Guard from game to game as well as enemy design. 3 had pretty good enemy design with some exceptions, 4 had enemies designed to ruin an otherwise stellar combat system, and 5 has fantastic enemies across the board. Some can get spongey especially on harder difficulties, but, hey, chewing threw massive health bars is what Royal Guard is for. *Edit:* Changed the phrasing and added a bit of advice as to not sound too much like a buttmad DMC fan, even though I don’t think it got the looking it deserved. You can use taunts to parry in DMC. For me, that amount of depth goes unparalleled. -except for maybe Sekiro with its variety of parries and attached lore-

[@jcdenton7273]

hearing the exploration song from the salt and sanctuary soundtrack come on while you were talking about grime made me so happy bro, i love s&s so much. its my favorite game of all time. i love the parry mechanic in that game, its insanely satisfying

[@MrTmm97]

Sekiro was the Fromsoft game that got me to try the others. Currently trying Elden Ring. I loved Sekiro though. Super hard but felt so damn good to beat Sword Saint Isshin.

[@granthefato340]

The first from game someone plays will always be the best from game for them

[@rezarafiee6253]

I don't believe that this video was a solo project... It was awesome Great content , keep up the good work man 👍

[@MythicMachina]

TL:DR, Curse of the Dead Gods has one of the best parrying systems i've seen in a game. One of my favorite parry mechanics comes from Curse of the Dead Gods. It's a rougelite game that had combat inspired by souls games whole being a completely different beast. Instead of a bar, you instead have 5 stamina pips that limit what actions you can take. Attacking takes stamina at different rates depending on the weapon, dodge rolling takes one stamina, and parry doesn't cost anything but its the riskiest option. The reason why I bring all of this up is due to how Dead Gods plays with its stamina system. It's a game that wants you to keep the flow going and will reward you with stamina when you kill enemies, perfect dodge, or parry. By default, killing an enemy or perfect dodging recovers a point of stamina, and parrying recovers two points. You can also cancel out of most animations which makes parrying both an option for keeping the flow going, but also as a good last resort when you're spent out of stamina. There's also other factors that make parrying great. You window for it is increased slightly when holding a shield. It's not a significant amount, but enough to make a difference. Different shields also have different rewards for good parrying. it Also staggers enemies and puts the Weaken effect on them, making them take more damage after. On top of all of this, there are optional perks that can make parrying better. One of them recovers ALL of your stamina when you parry, and another one staggers enemies around you with a wind blast. It's such a simple mechanic, but with how much it flows into the game naturally and how many ways you can add to it, it makes it just so much fun to use.

[@arik2216]

The one most satifying parry mechanic that i found in any isometric. It's easy but still you have to time it right. You can't just spam it, it's default abillity, you don't have to unlock that first as a hidden abillity. I never found any action isometric game that have such similar parry. Darksider Genesis also an isometric action and it has a parry but you need to unlock that first and only exclusivelly made for one character.

[@pikachus0358]

i just saw the title and i thought instantly HELL YEAH ANOTHER RUSTY VIDEO :D

[@Kurai_69420]

Metal Gear Rising does have a dodge with I-frames, it's the "defensive offence" you can buy in the moves store. Edit: I guess I'm an assneck

[@thesnailiad7841]

51:27 it does, you have to buy it with battle points in the customize menu

[@MythicMachina]

56:54.

[@tank19768]

Hard disagree on Metal Gear Rising Revengeance, though I sort of struggled to understand what your actual problems with it were. The game doesn't force you to use your whole blade mode bar every time you want to Zandatsu; my preferred method is just a single precise slice, or to style on them I challenge myself to try and slice off every one of their limbs without destroying them. Even then you don't even have to do the actual Zandatsu if you don't want to, you can just let it hit the ground and run over it. Personally I think the parry itself is really good because it has a lot of dynamism some other parry systems don't: Some enemies will attack suddenly from an unexpected location, requiring you to quickly react in the right direction rather than just pressing a parry button. Some enemies will dodge away from your counter even if you parry, which rewards you if you're able to corner them, leaving them with nowhere to dodge. Some enemies will counter your counter, or not be stunned, requiring a series of timed parries similar to Sekiro. Parries have a higher armour damage value and instant kill button prompt setup chance, allowing you to cut limbs off of armoured enemies sooner and kill them before their actual HP is depleted, similar once again to Sekiro's posture system. Another similarity to Sekiro is that the parry also functions as a block when pressed early which can be used to passively defend with little repercussion; MGRR doesn't have a posture bar equivalent for Raiden, but it makes up for it by locking you in a block when you parry early instead of being able to try again like in Sekiro. Honestly MGRR often gets criticised for either having underdeveloped offense or underdeveloped defense, but people seem not to realise that it's the dance between the offense and defense that gives MGRR its depth.

[@M4x_P0w3r]

Thank you! Someone finally gets it

[@deathtoraiden2080]

One of the few points he was actually right about. Blade mode does get old fast, even if you don't prolong it. What really gets old even faster is all the button prompt animations that go into blade mode. I say "all" when the problem is that there is literally ONE animation per enemy type, which is absolutely abysmal by genre standards, and they exceed the timing sweet spot for "finishing" moves in the hack and slash genre by a noticeable margin, which does not help. Also the fact you can just instantly zandatsu every single basic enemy type is incredibly lame. MGR is also one of those action games with a meme highest difficulty and it's all thanks to it's parrying system which becomes extremely overbearing on Revengeance mode where it will one shot enemies and do massive damage to bosses, sucking the life out of the combat system. MGR is a GREAT game but it's not without it's significant flaws.

[@tank19768]

@@deathtoraiden2080 I guess whether it gets old is a matter of opinion in the end; I personally didn't tire of it, either because its freedom of expression let me try different ways of performing stylish cuts, or when I didn't want to do that, because it would be over so quickly, similar in speed to a regular attack. As for button prompt animations, I'll agree that a few of them are excessive in length, usually for the larger enemies, but you typically don't fight enough of those in quick succession for it to be a problem. The lack of variety is a bit of a shame though; I justify the fact they didn't do at least one more for each with the fact they also included stealth kill animations. The fact you can instantly zandatsu basic enemies is not lame? It's actually great. It only applies to mook enemies that put up so little resistance their only danger is in numbers, so killing them normally would just be boring filler. Plus you can only actually do it when your electrolytes gauge is in the blue, so if you're using ripper mode liberally (which you should), it creates a little back and forth, or otherwise punishes zandatsu mistakes. Revengeance mode is indeed a "meme" difficulty level, it's more like just an alternate version of the game that's testing only your parrying and ability to not get hit, and I think Very Hard is the "real" hardest difficulty. I did Revengeance just for the sake of it, but I've never played it after and don't really recommend it. But I wouldn't recommend playing on Easy either, and generally dislike that games have difficulty settings at all, so I think it's somewhat a moot point since it's a very optional mode.

[@lucasbeck1391]

Minor thing Perfect deflection in sekiro does not negate all posture damage it just reduces it and prevents your posture from being broken even if it's maxed out

[@roadkillwaffle9847]

"Tell me you didn't understand Dishonored, without saying you didn't understand Dishonored"

[@Eval999]

Someones gotta be a psycho to think Dark Souls popularized the parry.

[@flowwy_]

To be honest, it kinda did...

[@ToxicSoul03]

“parry this you filthy casual” It did lmao, what are you on?

[@handtomouth4690]

What game do you think did then?

[@Eval999]

@@handtomouth4690 Literally all of gaming history, particularly fighting games.

[@MarkTheViewer]

I absolutley love the perfect timing mechanic in games as long as they properly reward you for it. A good example is dragons dogma's mystic knight shield magic

[@deathtoraiden2080]

Elemental RIposte is the only unique MK skill i like, but goddamn if it isn't the most fun skill in the entire game.

[@mamdohbammm6980]

27:50 brushing off such a large attack from trolls might look hard, until you consider that you are playing as someone who can flip the whole planet upside down

[@Ridley_Prime]

I don't get why you don't like the punishment of losing Devil Trigger in DMCV if you mistime or use the auto parry when it's just better than eating shit and taking HP damage as a punishment. Since perfect Royal Guard GIVES you a ton of DT, you're actually encouraged to try and master the difficult timing. Sekiro is the same. Take posture damage if you mistime, deal posture damage if it's perfect. Is your only gripe the small window? Just want to understand how important the size of the window is. I could also mention how you can clash attacks in DMCV (like hollow knight) and that feels damn good. I do like systems where the best strategy isn't always turtle up and fish for parries since they're busted. CrossCode is probably my favorite example?

[@icu9313]

The reason that revengence doesn't have a dodge button is because you aren't supposed to dodge. Ever. There's no such thing as defense. Only offense. Your offense is your defense. Embrace the rush down always.

[@manamongmen3381]

honestly, this is quite informative. I played most of these, and am interested in some of the ones I have not. didn't notice a few things you pointed out. you also could read me bedtime stories with that voice.

[@alexandersong5753]

8:25 actually the Llewellyn shield and other small shields have the same parry frames as Iron Round, its not better. Basically parry frames are based on the size of the shield, the smaller the better. Greatshields can't parry, Medium has the least, then Small (Llewellyn, Iron Round) and the best are the Parry Shields, basically extra small shields (Buckler, Target Shield)

[@N1ght44]

and here I was, all this time thinking the llewellyn shield had the same amount of parry frames as the buckler or rusted iron shield...

[@madelineguinn1923]

Definitely the buckler has always been a special "parry shield" with more frames and a different animation, but I can't find anything online that shows that the llewellyn shield and rusted iron shield aren't in the same "small shield" category of parry frames

[@ironencepersonal9634]

32:03 I can answer your question quite simply, and that rewarding the player for mass murder takes away the significance of the low kills route, and going out of your way to not become what you've been accused of. Why bother even going with the harder route if that's the playstyle that gets you the bad ending? Also why on earth do you care about the story implications of the gameplay? This is about the parrying, not the lore of the game surrounding it. If you want the better ending, just do a second playthrough, it isn't *that* long of a game. Besides, (in my opinion) getting by in stealth in and of itself is very satisfying. (Also it's worth noting that the second game does give you lots and lots of options for a no-stealth combat pacifist playthrough so uhh maybe you should have used those.) I'm taking that F as an S by the way, since your grade had absolutely nothing to do with the parry itself, and that giving it a low grade because you couldn't use it means it the parry was good enough to warrent complaining about not being able to use it. Grade the *parry,* man, not the game.

[@doctorwhouse3881]

A game that handled parrying terribly by making it "too good" was Minoria. It creates a screenwide explosion (on a ridiculously generous window) which makes parrying actively make the combat less fun.

[@NovaBlue242]

Rusty, what about Fretia's Ring in Ender Lilies? Did you forget? Does it not count? It's a 0-cost relic that lets you negate/repel any attack with a parry that has the same timing window as Headless Defender. It might not have a riposte, but it puts you in an advantage state where you can easily follow up and punish an enemy's attack. Even if you just use it to block a projectile, a second's worth of free time during boss fights is somehow an advantage state for the player when you have such high mobility and certain spirits equipped. To me, Fretia's Ring is meant to be a main combat mechanic (basically a permanent upgrade, no reason not to equip it), and the reason that Headless Defender has (such comparatively low) limited uses. The ring is a basic parry that opens up an opportunity to counter, but Headless Defender is the OP as fuck 'stronger option' that does everything automatically. It's insanely strong, deals loads of stagger/poise, and can knock airborne enemies out of the sky (they take fall damage lol). If you're a speedrunner, you can basically end most boss fights with a Headless parry with the right setup. Also, your point about spamming buttons? Speedrunners actually do that. It's a pretty effective strategy, unsurprisingly. You just press all of your buttons and all of your spirits attack simultaneously and stack their effects. Players being able to spam spirits isn't something that the devs seem overly concerned with curbing, and every boss fight ends long before you can spend all of your spirit uses. I'd say that the limited uses are intended to add to the challenge of exploration, the point being that you can run out and lose all of your attacks if you can't find a bench in time. Rationing and conserving Headless Defender's 10 uses in a boss fight isn't something you need to be doing at all. I picked up Ender Lilies recently on your recommendation. I'd seen peple play it and talk about it, but didn't really take notice. Your video on it that that explained and showcased stuff clearly and concisely was what sold me, and I'm so glad I decided to try it. I expected to like it at least a little, but it's become my latest obsession, I just can't put it down. The spirit system scratches a particular itch for me, I'm having a blast over here. Thanks Rusty.

[@myhairhasamindofitsown]

I whole heartedly believe that parrying in Blasphemous exists to deal exlusively with Crisanta's bossfight. If you know her timings, on a normal run, it renders her fight rather easy. And on the New Game+ or the third phase in the True Ending, parrying is probably one of the few ways to either give breathing room or actually land a hit against her.

[@abrahamrangel2326]

Now i kinda want to do a challenge fight not parrying her a single time

[@SMT-ks8yp]

Also Esdras and especially his buddies from the rooftops. The latter looked to me as completely invulnerable outside of the parry-stagger, and they spam a lot too... Wait, Crisanta is their leader, makes sense.

[@arthurcarnegie9144]

This video was really well done! I think this one and your thorn ability video are both very informative videos and very fun to listen to as well

[@mnzkrhpsds]

50:33 the same can be pretty much said about the modern MGR community honestly, they're close to reaching jojo fan levels of annoying.

[@michaelwarnecke3474]

I noticed right now, at 43:27, that this is the Salt and sanctuary soundtrack. I fucking love it when games have soundtracks recognizable even when they are not super flashy.

[@TheGrinningGamer]

Dude, all that work was worth it. Such a well-thought-out vid, and you have my kudos for the massive effort it took to make. Stay strong, my dude!

[@kimballblack2668]

As a person who’s been looking into content creation, I understand how hard it is to do this stuff on your own, especially with personal problems getting in the way. I really appreciate you guys for all the effort you put into your videos. I wouldn’t be the person I am without people like you and Rusty, and that’s a good thing. Please know that you all are appreciated. ❤️

[@NotMeButAnother]

Since you mentioned in the GRIME section that you don't know of a game where learning new abilities is done through parrying: in Absolver you can learn new martial arts moves by parrying them when they're used against you enough times.

[@yurimancy5117]

Me being happy seeing code vein in the intro

[@emberthecatgirl8796]

I am so disappointed in you, Rusty. Metal Gear Rising: Revengence (try saying this quickly 3 times) has a Dodge, the dodge has one of the longest I-frame windows I've ever seen in gaming *and* dodging still deals damage to the enemy. I know this might sound like satire, but have you actually read the game manual? I could get into a whole essay on why the parry mechanic in Revengence being used as the only tool to regenerate health makes this one of the very few games where you legitimately smile when an enemy attacks you. It perfectly encapsulates Raiden's cynical and edgy approach to evertything and discourages any tactic that would prevent enemies from hitting you. As a sidenote, the game's titulat gamemode, "Revengence difficulty" dramatically increases enemy health and damage, but it makes your parry counter deal what I'm pretty sure is the highest possible damage in the game. It makes the risk-reward truly shine. The importance of parrying also comes to play in the game's final bossfight, where I'm pretty certain that Exelcius is the only boss with no blockable (thus, parryable) attacks and the final boss has most attacks blockable, but only one parryable move that will lead to a QTE with heavy damage even if you don't block at all. This is sort of symbolical, where Raiden abused his enemies' inferior skills and mistakes to best them, now he faces an enemy without any glaring flaws, an enemy he'll have to whittle down without any chance for a quck counter.

[@MythicMachina]

56:54

[@emberthecatgirl8796]

@@MythicMachina I wouldn’t say that missing something that is literally in the manual is a minor script blemish, if that’s an important section of one’s (still valid) criticism of a game.

[@MythicMachina]

@@emberthecatgirl8796 You keep saying that it's in the manuel, but that's not really a good excuse. MGR came out at a time where manual for games were dying, and games taught you it's mechanics through a tutorial instead. the fact that the game doesn't tell you about it AND the fact that you have to unlock the dodge is a really stupid game design choice.

[@Sodatab_real]

ULTRAKILL’s parry mechanic is just the greatest, you can parry a massive reanimated corpse’s punches, a man who is literally too pissed to die’s explosive drop-kick, and balls of energy aimed at your forehead just by punching them with your robot hand.

[@chriskoloski32]

The fact that dmc 5 has an achievement/ trophy for beating a full mission and boss with only the royal guard puts in perspective that it is a great parry since the devs had that much faith in it.

[@Surraqael]

Always love it when you upload! Happy to see it!

[@Aaron-vn5fd]

a video i didn’t know i needed! great stuff

[@ssvis2]

After nearly 4000 runs and multiple completions of 5 BC, I can say that inconsistency is the name of the game in Dead Cells parrying, at least on Android. It regularly feels like the timing window changes based on how the game is performing or some other factor. Combine that with getting severely punished for missing that window and it becomes an unnecessarily frustrating experience. Sometimes you can literally stop everything coming your way and other times those same situations lead to taking 4 hits. Often times it's better to just dodge and hope you have enough DPS.

[@rns6889]

I mean, if you are on console or pc that is stably running dead cells the parry is super consistent, it's just that some weapons may make the enemies get delayed for some reason like the pure nail which has alooot of delay to the enemy so if you hit them with the weapon then parry it'll fail since the timing is different, with some shields having certain effects, and that you can chain multiple parries and on 5BC since it gets so ridiculous that even after a dodge you'd still get hit by something the parry is a very OP mechanic that would save your life sometimes if used properly, especially if you have the thunder shield you can literally go around parry a whole biome or a boss to death. The window of parry is generous and it makes sense because you're gonna find yourself being ganged by enemies alot in that game

[@ssvis2]

@@rns6889 Yeah, I'm guessing it's due to the stuttering in the mobile ports. When the framerate is smooth, parrying is spot on. However, mobile seems to get random frame drops and it stops processing inputs for 1-2 frames. This is using a PS4 controller on Android. Haven't had problems with the controller in other mobile games, so I'm really leaning towards a Dead Cells porting issue. The game itself is really fun. I just wish Playdigious spent more time optimizing the port. A couple of minor improvements and the game would be solid.

[@ScrodumHat]

incredibly untrue. i’m in a similar scenario as you but parrying is fucking brilliant. not only do certain shields have brilliant modifiers on them after a parry, like the ramparts and the ice shield, but getting the 300% damage after a parry modifier essentially makes the game so much easier. it’s also quite easy to do, given that the enemies literally get an exclamation mark above their head when they are about to attack. it really makes things so much more manageable in every scenario. specifically using the ramparts shield to parry gives you a forcefield that negates all damage for 3 seconds, allowing for you to be insanely aggressive. and it works for any colour build, even if it doesn’t scale off the stat you are upgrading. the only negative consequence to not using a ramparts or ice shield in a green build is that it will do less damage itself. you can still get the +300% affix and the parry bonus still applies. this is all without mentioning the fact that shields scaling off your main stat do enough damage to sometimes one shot weak mobs, or even give extra passive damage in the thunder shield’s case. the only time i see a shield not being useful is if you’re using something that requires another weapon for synergy, like the ice shards or the firebrand, or if you’re dual binding (which has been removed at this point anyway). even then, with the armadillopack mutation, you can even parry and get the parry effects from rolling at the same time as an enemy’s attack, essentially giving your dodge a parry. it’s a brilliant ability, and almost too powerful in certain scenarios

[@EoHRichmasters]

huh, i somehow really expected this vid to end with a "i have an editor now" or a "say hi to my new script writer" xD

[@vaal5534]

I like this longer form video style from you, I love how you will go on tangents about some of the games, you can tell you really have a passion for games you made me want to play senua now lmao

[@chrisdray5325]

Fun idea for a vid. Two of my favorite additions: The Surge 2. Normal parry is now a directional parry, which requires you to not only read the timing of the enemy attack, but also its direction. Gives the system a lot of extra depth while also making defense the fun part of the equation while still having offense be the fun part. The Surge 2 rules. Curse of the Dead Gods: In many of the games on this list, parrying is optional. That is not true in Curse of the Dead Gods. Not only is the parry incredibly strong, it's timing window is super tight. And with how fast so many enemy attacks come out, parrying them is a must. When you get used to what the game is asking of you, though, you feel like an untouchable god.

[@themambawarrior2290]

Technically, you can, in Metal Gear Revengeance, buy a dodge button in the in-game skill shop.(Edit: god damnit) It's an absolutely dogshit dodge the I never found a use for, but you can get one. Though, personally, I'd have to say the Revengeance is legitimately one of my favorite games, having played it for the first time a few weeks ago. The only part I consider outdated are the quicktime events and button mashing segments. The parry is practically integral to the game's combat system, and I found the game far more fun than Nier Automata partly because of it.

[@lewisbacon5405]

You are unable to find a use for it. I, on the other hand, cannot get surfboard Samuel down to 50% without mashing x, x, x x+a. Because for some reason, raiden only wants to parry around 70% of the time I want to parry, any other time, he attacks and gets me killed.

[@bleeem]

the dodge is not bad tho, it has a lot of active s and you can use it while doing a combo, idk how rusty just glanced over that

[@oni_shin]

Absolutely love the video and effort on it.

[@Nova-jw6ju]

Im in the "Rusty Talks at Length About Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Because it's Honestly an Excellent Piece of Art" fanclub

[@ZomgLolPants]

In dark souls 3 you can also parry with a bare fist if you have no weapon on your right hand.

[@jamesbrincefield9879]

I think it was around the end of my final attempt at a Steel Soul run where I finally figured out how to parry as anything more than an accident/unreliable gimmick in Hollow Knight. And I got SO addicted to trying it out that I almost threw the entire run practicing it.

[@Sir.Alonne]

Llewellyn shield has the same frames as the iron round shield dummy Edit: 56:55 not quite my friend, I chose a different thing to nit-pick like an asshole.

[@Sir.Alonne]

@Yakul parry type for shields are based on the weapon sub class, either medium small or buckler. Iron round shield and Llewellyn shield are in the same subclass.

[@doctorwhouse3881]

While I agree the parry (proper one, not just block) in Blasphemous is underutilized, it is nearly-essential for two of the basegame bosses (trivialising one of them) and quite useful against a few of the expansion bosses.

[@meyes1098]

If you learn how to properly parry in blasphemous, your entire experience in that game will be boosted by 500%. It's sooo good! It's also extremely useful, more than people think, due to some possible combinations of rosary beads ;)

[@abrahamrangel2326]

Parrying if so helpful in blasphemous, if you parry an enemy and counter attack with a perfect hit is just a guaranted kill, and you can parry almost any physical attack, sometimes you dont do a counter attack and get launched back while blocking but if you instantly come back and do the sliding slash you pretty much do a critical hit that leaves the enemy vulnerable for a fatality even if still has most of his health

[@viktor_v-ughnda_vaudville_476]

Been a while Russ regularly ranking retreaded rants revolving round relatively rough range of retold replays rapidly recorded rapping responses roughly rhyming

[@tehcrusher]

The writing in this video is top tier, dude. Nothing feels stale and none of the jokes made me cringe. The transitions are either smooth or humorous.

[@chanellofshadows264]

For me, for honors parrying system is the most satisfying due to the amount of experience and skill it takes to be able to pull them off consistently, what makes it especially satisfying is the risk and reward in using the mechanic, parrying a heavy attack may seem trivial and worthwhile since it will guarantee you a light attack (or more depending on the hero), leading into your heros offense and the fact that heavies are generally very slow, but you run the risk of being feinted, leaving you open to guardbreaks or worse. And thats just scratching the surface of the mechanic and the game knowledge that goes with it

[@juniperrodley9843]

Very minor correction: perilous attacks as a rule can't be deflected. Thrusts, a type of perilous attack, can be, but sweeps can only be dodged or jumped. Grabs can be deflected with the umbrella, but that's not really what your average Sekiro player would call "deflectable".

[@Duderman6924]

Great video! Thanks for all your hard work!

[@aarepelaa1142]

Ultrakill parries are pretty cool, that would have been a great game for this, as it's not like the enemies are the only thing you parry or punch i guess.

[@tsirakura1684]

Fun fact, anyone who fights watcher knights at a 32 pace level of expertise relies on consistent parries in their strats.

[@miklosarpadfi4378]

interesting how you put DS3 as easiest and Sekiro the hardest. For some reason I can not hit a parry in DS3 for the life of me. Meanwhile I can parry depression is Sekiro and Bloodborne

[@mythicalthings1796]

My beef with BB's parry is that it's TOO GOOD. Bosses like Lady Maria become cake walks. Even Orphan, if you can get him in a good loop, becomes nothing more than parry bait. I know the same can be said for Dark Souls, but in Dark Souls you run the risk of getting your shit kicked in because you HAVE to be close. BB you don't HAVE to be close to an enemy.

[@ayy-dree-in]

I agree with Hollow Knight parrying feeling like a happy accident. One time, I was able to parry all of the Pure Vessel's triple slash attack, and I was never able to do it again after that.

[@HarmonicaPresents]

I doubt this changes much, but I appreciate how Dishonored games after the first one would incorporate more means of avoiding lethality even within a direct combat approach, such as being able to perform non-lethal takedowns in the same situations as lethal ones (such as falling or sliding takedowns, the latter of which feel very cool to do) as well as creative approaches (like chucking a bottle at somebody's head). Also, shooting an enemy in the foot is pretty effective at managing them without killing them (and also could be comboed into an instant non-lethal takedown, iirc). Where the parry comes into play is that when you parry an enemy, you can follow that up by grabbing them into a sleeper hold to choke them out. Admittedly, this is only practical if you're not fighting more than one enemy, but it at least expands the non-lethal applications of the parry by a little bit (other than simply running away or chucking a bottle at their head when they are stunned, or making them fall off a ledge when they stumble back from being parried.)

[@kamikage9420]

I love the parries in the Nioh games, pretty much every weapon type in them has at least one or two options for parrying attacks, with different use cases, it's pretty neat. Even though it's one of the hardest to pull off, my favourite parry in Nioh 2 is a counterattack with the fist weapons in the low stance, because of how stylish and unexpected it is. It's activated while lying down. You kip-up and catch the attack with your feet, then do a deathroll type move to drag them down with you before standing back up.

[@cjex1585]

In hollow knight, parrys can help when you’re attacking a boss mid attack, like pure vessels basic swing, when you have the right muscle memory, parry’s come more often, so it helps with radiant fights

[@paladin181]

The Surge 2 parry mechanic is so satisfying. Block and push the controller in the direction to get a deflection and own everyone.

[@tiaanmoller1508]

I also didn't know the Revengence dodge existed until my replay of the game. Why it wasnt part of your base moveset just confuses me. Great video Rusty, well done on editing this behemoth solo!

[@sekiro_the_one-armed_wolf]

I mean it is part of your base moveset, they just never tell you it exists

[@cherri.mp4527]

@@sekiro_the_one-armed_wolf if you mean "Defensive offence" then no, you do have to buy and equip it

[@therealchaosguy]

“Ranking parries” *Contains Royal Guard* Ah yes, the win button

[@ohshit635]

I think Dishonored does it right when the world you’re playing is influenced by your actions. the ghost endings are more anti-climatic than the “punished” endings you get by murdering HALF the city. of course the city would prepare for someone who inexplicably teleports and has no remorse for killing.

[@ryguyofravens4701]

MGRR does have a dodge, but it's only useful against very specific things. It's the defensive offense upgrade. I used it to beat the fist mode of Armstrong on revengance mode so it's ok.

[@emberthecatgirl8796]

It's useful against literally everything, since it has an extremely long I-frame window with basically no wind-up. The only reason not to use dodge is that you can parry.

[@aiheki]

Does Dishonored really punish you for having fun with combat? I mean yeah you can get a "bad ending" if you go on a genocide murder spree... But it's just one of the endings... This game is really focused on the story and it makes sense that murdering every single guard just doing their job won't net you a happily ever after lol You want to have fun and murder everyone, cool! You can do that and have fun with the game this way... You want to take the roleplay approach where Corvo actually is a good man (and not a murder-hobo) trying to prove his innocence and expose the evil government... You're very welcome to do that as well... And it's not like you have to spare everyone lol, you can kill a hefty amount of people and still get the low chaos ending... Just don't murder everyone... Like idk man it just makes perfect sense for me and would be kinda stupid story wise if it didn't work like that. TL;DR: The F rating is unfair, since you can kill "a lot" of people and still get the good ending. A genocide run murdering everyone on sight resulting in a bad ending just makes sense and thinking otherwise is just stupid.

[@ToxicSoul03]

Totally agree with you, giving it an F was absolutely idiotic. He legitimately just said “why are you giving me the bad ending for killing people” It’s like he had a grudge on the game from the start, complete bias and the parrying has several animations and can lead to so much creativity.

[@Arclor]

Before watching the video: As a HUGE parrying/riposte fan in action games, I think I'm gonna love this vid. I'm gonna predict though that you won't rank very highly a parry that has too small of a window (SSB, and SF, for example). Will edit afterwards 😀