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God of War Ragnarok: How To Parry

A promotional image demonstrating a parry in God of War Ragnarok.

Credit: SIE

This guide explains how to parry in God of War Ragnarok.

It has been four years since the release of 2018’s God of War. After that game set such a tremendously high bar and left fans on one almighty cliffhanger, it has been difficult to see how God of War Ragnarok could possibly meet expectations.

Thankfully, God of War Ragnarok has delivered an all-time classic experience. And this sterling sequel is bound to be in contention with Elden Ring for 2022 Game of the Year. It currently stands at a colossal 94/100 on Metacritic having received many 10 out of 10 reviews.

God of War Ragnarok follows father and son duo Kratos and Atreus, the latter now a teenager, as they battle to stop Ragnarok with Fimbulwinter drawing to a close.

The new game picks up right where the previous one left off. And there’s a helpful re-cap option in the main menu.

Credit: SIE

However, as a few years have passed since the last game was released, it is likely fans will have to get reacquainted with God of War Ragnarok‘s lore and gameplay.

One key aspect of the game’s excellent combat is parrying. But executing the perfect parry can be a challenge.

And while Ragnarok does explain how to do it, if you’re not paying close enough attention it can be easy to misunderstand.

Of course, parrying isn’t essential – you don’t need to parry. But the game will be far easier if you learn how to execute a parry correctly. Especially when you start coming up against more challenging enemies.

If you want to know how to parry correctly in God of War Ragnarok, check out the tips below…

How to Parry in God of War Ragnarok

If you find yourself struggling during fights, you can always lower the game’s difficulty. But many players will prefer to master combat and improve their skills instead.

And an expertly timed parry can be a huge difference maker. It opens stunned enemies up to attacks from Kratos and can give you the edge during challenging boss fights.

This is how to parry in God of War Ragnarok. Press L1 to use the shield to block just as an enemy attack is about to land. This will stagger them and create an opening for you to attack.

Enemy attacks are split into three categories. Standard attacks can be blocked and parried relatively easily – just make sure to nail the timing.

Use L1 to block. Time a block correctly to parry an attack.

Yellow ring attacks (indicated by a yellow ring around an enemy) can’t be blocked but can be parried. Red ring attacks (indicated by a red ring around an enemy) can’t be blocked or parried, so are best to avoid entirely.

Both melee and ranged attacks can be parried. When you successfully parry an attack, time will momentarily slow down to allow you to react and hit devastating counter attacks.

And there you have it – that’s how to parry in God of War Ragnarok. Practise is essential, so don’t be dismayed if you’re struggling with parrying early in the game – you’ll master it eventually.

Just keep trying to get your timing right and remember to hit L1 at the last possible moment to achieve the perfect parry.

Did you find this God of War Ragnarok guide useful? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles…

Joe Harby

About Author

Joe is one of the editors and founders of Downtime Bros and an accredited critic. He has more than a decade of experience in journalism and communications. He is passionate about everything in the worlds of gaming, movies, and TV, as demonstrated by the countless words he has written about them. He is overly proud of his Bloodborne platinum trophy and plays too much Call of Duty. Follow him on Twitter and check out his reviews on OpenCritic.

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