How to parry in Resident Evil 4 Remake

How to parry in Resident Evil 4 Remake

Matt Lorrigan

The upcoming Resident Evil 4 remake adds in a bunch of new gameplay mechanics on top of the already strong foundations of the 2005 original. One of the biggest new additions, however, is the addition of a parry. Using his trusty knife, Leon can now parry enemy attacks, negating any damage taken, and potentially staggering your parasite-infected Ganado foe in the process, leaving them open to one of Kennedy’s trademark roundhouse kicks.

You are taught to parry early on in RE4R, but it can be all too easy to forget the right button to press, or what it is you can parry. That’s what this guide is for, then, so let’s slice right into it.

What button is it to parry in Resident Evil 4 Remake?

In order to pull off a parry in the default control scheme in RE4R, you need to tap the LB button on Xbox (or the L1 button on PlayStation) at the moment before an enemy attack is about to land. The timing is pretty generous on lower difficulties, although on the higher Professional mode, you’ll need perfect timing.

To help you learn when to time your parries, make sure to keep an eye on the knife symbol, shown in the bottom-right corner of the screen. When this symbol flashes white, that’s the moment to tap the left bumper in order to parry the attack.

What attacks can you parry in Resident Evil 4 Remake?

When it comes to the regular Ganado enemies in the remake of RE4, Leon is actually able to parry plenty of different attacks using his knife. Enemies attacking with weapons can be parried, and even ranged attacks, such as throwing axes, can be parried in midair. If an unarmed Ganado tries to punch Leon, you can parry their fist, removing a chunk of their arm in the process. The only attacks that can’t be parried are grab attacks, which you’ll need to run away from to avoid.

Knives can even be used to parry some of the more powerful enemies, such as the Chainsaw-wielding Dr. Salvador. Where his chainsaw attack was once an instant one-hit kill if he got too close, you can now just about keep him at bay with a well-timed parry. 

If you’re not sure what enemies or attacks can be parried, just keep an eye on the knife symbol in the bottom-right corner of your screen. If it flashes, it can be parried. If it doesn’t? Well, you probably need to get out of the way sharpish.

Can you parry without a knife in Resident Evil 4 Remake?

While the parry mechanic can feel a touch overpowered in Resident Evil 4 Remake, it’s balanced out by the fact that each parry brings your knife a little closer to breaking. Even completely broken knives can be repaired at the Merchant, and you can pick up weaker disposable knives as items, such as the Kitchen Knife and Boot Knife.

However, if you don’t have an unbroken knife in your inventory, you won’t be able to parry attacks anymore. Because of this, we recommend focusing on upgrading your Combat Knife’s durability through the Merchant as a priority. Oh, and if you’re interested in obtaining a knife that never breaks, we’ve got the guide for that too.

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