How to Perfect Your Parry in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, there’s one mechanic that can make or break you in combat: parrying. Unfortunately, it is rather hard to do, and even more so to do as much as you sometimes need to. Luckily, I have gone through the ringer in the game and, during that time, I have figured out just what to do to always nail timing for parrying. They aren’t surefire ways to perfect it, as battles can be rather tricky with newer enemies and speed, but it will definitely help you get those AP points and even let you counterattack once in a while. 

Before you nail parrying, you have to know what you’re dealing with. The act of parrying in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is essentially a block button, but reliant on timing and speed. Like the quick-time actions you’ll do in battle when attacking, parrying requires precision to fully block an attack and score AP for the character. You do have dodging, which helps when there is no other option. However, parrying can allow you to, if you block every attack an enemy does with their turn, unleash a counterattack against them, which can be very helpful. But how can you master parrying and make sure you can counterattack as much as possible? We have what you need.

How to Master Parrying in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

The first step in mastering parrying in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is to know your enemy. For me, the best way to find that out is to let them get through all their attacks and dodge them. Granted, dodging successfully can sometimes be difficult, especially with combos and fast moves, but it helps you figure out when the impact of their attacks are, as well as how many. Still, if you aren’t sure about making the parry for a certain attack or string, just dodge. Better to keep your health but lose the counterattack than mess up the parry and possibly kill your character.

Once you feel like you’ve got a grip on dodging, parrying is the next logical step. It’s important to know that it requires precise timing, especially if you’re playing on a higher difficulty. Plus, if you’re planning to counterattack, you have to remember that you have to parry every attack in an enemy’s turn. If you miss one or are hit, you will not counterattack at the end of their turn, but you can still parry. Also, keep in mind that a counterattack is one hit, so if an enemy has shields, it will only break one.

Finally, in order to improve your timing with parrying in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, you need to memorize your enemy’s attack pattern and, most importantly, clues. Many times, when an enemy is about to attack, a noise will be made, whether it’s a grunt, a mechanism grinding, or sharp sound effect. Right at the middle of it, hit the parry button. More than likely, you’ll block it, if the enemy is fast. Other times, there are visual cues like a flash of light on the weapon or a slow-motion effect. Just like the audio, midway through, parry it. Over time, you’ll be able to do it like clockwork and maybe even parry the entire match, giving you the upper edge.