Combat is the core gameplay element of any Soulslike game and the same is true of Lords of the Fallen. There is a new system at work with Hexworks’ new release and some new mechanics to make combat more engaging while adhering to the classic Dark Souls combat experience.
Parrying and Riposte are Soulslike staples. And Lords of the Fallen have retained the concept albeit with a nerf that will make it more appealing to an inexperienced audience.
Unlike other Soulslike games and the original Dark Souls series, parrying in Lords of the Fallen is a fairly simple mechanic that is too easy compared to what has been on offer so far in the genre. Timing is not really a factor in the game to parry attacks against even elite bosses.
But since this is a challenging game, here is a Lords of the Fallen parry guide just so you don’t do something catastrophically wrong and get banished from Axiom.
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How To Parry and Riposte In Lords Of The Fallen
Parrying is fairly simple in Lords of the Fallen. All you have to do is press the block button and the game will immediately block the enemy attack for you and give you a window of opportunity for a riposte. Unlike other games in the genre, there is no real adherence to timing. Ideally, you’d want to press the left-hand heavy attack button/key just before the enemy hit lands to parry. But, with Lords of the Fallen, there is plenty of leeway in terms of the timing of the block.
It is best to use a shield to effectively block or parry an attack in Lords of the Fallen to stagger them. Once you have parried an attack, you can use the right-hand light attack button/key to riposte. This again is a timed action, so it is most effective immediately after you have staggered an enemy with the parry.
According to Hexworks and the gameplay revealed so far, the timing window isn’t as strict as other Soulslike games and therefore allows even new gamers to get accustomed to the parrying mechanic in Lords of the Fallen. This is apparently deliberate to help players get attuned to a new combat mechanic introduced in the game.
Why You Should Parry Often In Lords Of The Fallen?
The devs at Hexworks encourage players to parry fearlessly to facilitate an intertwining mechanic that is new to Lords of the Fallen. Parrying is one of the most effective ways of breaking an enemy’s Posture. The posture mechanic seems to play a pivotal role in combat and each enemy has their own posture meter. By bringing down the posture meter, parrying in Lords of the Fallen allows players to execute a Grievous Strike which does a considerable amount of damage.
Like the Perfect Guard in Lies of P, parrying in Lords of the Fallen provides the ideal opening in boss fights for the Grievous Strike. You’ll need to parry multiple times to bring the posture meter low enough to land the strike though. It is, perhaps, due to this most crucial combat requirement that Hexworks have made parrying in Lords of the Fallen a fairly easy-to-execute move.
Furthermore, even if you miss a few parries, your characters will still be able to block a considerable number of moves even in boss fights. This is essential as well, considering other combat elements in Lords of the Fallen such as Wither which allow you to gain an advantage in combat while momentarily sacrificing some stats points that can be recovered by attacking again.
