Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
The most satisfying parries do more than stop a hit: they make success clear and give you something useful back, whether that is an opening to counter, an enemy thrown off balance, or momentum in a fight. These ten games offer different versions of that payoff. This is a mechanics-first shortlist, not an objective ranking; the best fit depends on whether you want duels, crowded encounters, or demanding boss fights.
How to choose a parry system
Parry is not one standardized mechanic. In one game it may be a central answer to attacks; in another it is one option alongside dodging or blocking. The payoff matters just as much as the input: a deflection can create a punish window, disrupt an enemy, enable a takedown, or help maintain combat momentum.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Metro Redux - Nintendo Switch | $27.50 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Red Dead Redemption - Nintendo Switch | $23.74 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - US Version | $52.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Assassin's Creed The Ezio Collection - Nintendo Switch Standard Edition | $24.48 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition - Nintendo Switch | $19.93 | Buy on Amazon |
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The descriptions below distinguish documented mechanics from fit judgments. Where a cited source does not spell out exact timing rules or rewards, the article does not infer them. No precise frame windows are claimed.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →10 games to try
1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro is the natural starting point for players who want focused, high-stakes sword confrontations. Activision and FromSoftware describe it as a visceral action-adventure built around head-to-head combat in Sengoku-era Japan, with prosthetic tools and stealth also part of the game. The official game page establishes that broader combat context, though it does not detail the deflection system.
#1 Best Overall
- Immerse yourself in the Moscow Metro - witness One of the most atmospheric worlds in gaming brought to life on Nintendo Switch
- Brave the horrors of the Russian Apocalypse - equip your gasmask and an arsenal of hand-made weaponry as you face the threat of deadly mutants, human foes, and the terrifying environment itself
- Two campaigns, and all DLC included - Metro Redux includes two complete campaigns that combine to create One epic solo adventure, plus a further 10 hours of bonus content
- Two unique play styles: 'spartan' And 'survival' - approach the campaign as a slow burn survival horror, or tackle it with the combat skills of a spartan ranger in these two unique modes
Best fit: players looking for direct sword fights and willing to make defense a central part of combat. Evidence boundary: the cited official page does not specify parry timing or rewards, so this recommendation is about the game’s combat focus rather than a claim about particular windows.
2. Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima gives a successful parry a clear progression in payoff: a timed parry can become a perfect parry after an upgrade, opening a stronger counter and rewarding Jin with Resolve. In a 2020 PlayStation Blog article, Sucker Punch co-founder Chris Zimmerman explains the distinction: “Waiting to press L1 until the attack is about to hit changes the block into a parry.” He describes the upgraded result as a perfect parry that stuns the attacker, leaves them open to a devastating counterattack, and earns Resolve.
This makes the system appealing if you want a parry to feel like a precise defensive read that turns immediately into offense. It is one part of a broader action-adventure rather than the only way to approach combat. Zimmerman’s explanation of the katana combat is the source for the parry and Resolve details.
3. Sifu
Sifu places parrying inside close-quarters martial arts, where the result can affect both the opponent and the flow of an encounter. Sloclap community manager Félix Garczynski says that timely parries “let you deflect the blow, unbalancing your opponent and opening opportunities to counterattack or to throw them down.” The game also uses Structure: when an opponent’s Structure breaks, a takedown opportunity follows.
Rank #2
- When federal agents threaten his family, former outlaw John Marston is forced to hunt down the gang of criminals he once called friends.
- Experience Marston’s journey across the sprawling expanses of the American West and Mexico as he fights to bury his blood-stained past in the critically acclaimed predecessor to the 2018 blockbuster, Red Dead Redemption 2.
- Also included is Undead Nightmare, the iconic horror story that transforms the world of Red Dead Redemption into an apocalyptic fight for survival against a zombie horde.
That makes Sifu a strong fit for players who want defense, positioning, and enemy disruption to work together, including in encounters with multiple opponents. Not every strong attack can be parried, and the developer also describes dodging as an option. Sloclap’s combat explanation covers parries, counters, throws, Structure, and alternatives.
4. Lies of P
Lies of P suits action-RPG players who want precision to matter in major encounters. PlayStation’s guide to difficult PlayStation games describes its combat as testing players’ precision with dodging, parrying, and attacks, including in boss fights. That supports recommending it to players who want to work on defensive timing as part of a larger combat challenge; the cited guide does not establish exact parry windows or specific parry rewards.
Best fit: players who want a demanding action-RPG encounter mix rather than a game recommendation based on a documented timing specification. PlayStation’s guide is the source for the precision-combat framing.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →5. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
PlayStation’s guide recommends practicing Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s Deflect to maintain combat momentum. That makes it a useful pick for players drawn to deflection as an active part of keeping a fight moving. The cited guide does not detail the exact rules of Deflect, so it cannot support a more specific comparison of its timing or consequences.
Rank #3
- New stages and fighters are joined by the combined rosters of every past Super Smash Bros. Game
- Challenge others anytime, anywhere, whether you're on the couch or on the go
- Play any way you want—locally, online, in TV mode, Tabletop mode, Handheld mode, or even with GameCube Controllers
- Fight faster and smarter with new and returning techniques, like the perfect shield and directional air dodge
- Face off in 2-4 player battles, or play against the computer
Best fit: action-RPG players interested in a deflect-centered recommendation, with the qualification that the available source establishes its role in momentum rather than its precise operation. See PlayStation’s discussion of the game.
6. Nine Sols
Nine Sols is a candidate for players seeking a 2D option among parry-focused action games. The available reference is an editorial roundup that mentions the game but could not be opened, so it does not establish specific mechanics or support a detailed account of what a successful parry does.
Best fit: readers who want to explore a 2D candidate, while treating this entry as a lighter recommendation than the games backed by developer or platform explanations. The roundup that surfaced the title is the limited reference available here.
7. STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order
STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order is a candidate for players who want to look for parry-focused combat in a cinematic action-adventure setting. The available references do not document its parry mechanics, so this list cannot make a sourced claim about timing, payoff, or how central parrying is to its combat.
Rank #4
- Learn the ways of the Assassins and seek vengeance for the betrayal of your family
- Journey through 15th-century Renaissance Italy and become the most legendary leader of the Brotherhood, then embark on a final quest of discovery as you learn the truth about the Creed
- Includes enhanced features for the Nintendo Switch system, such as HD Rumble and more
Best fit: players whose interest in an action-adventure setting is as important as their interest in parrying. Treat this as a candidate to investigate, not a mechanics-verified pick.
8. STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor
STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor is another candidate for readers who want a cinematic action-adventure. No cited source here establishes the sequel’s parry rules or rewards, so there is not enough evidence to compare its system with the documented examples above.
Best fit: players already interested in the setting who want to assess the combat for themselves. Its inclusion is a suggestion to explore, not a sourced claim that it has a particular parry payoff.
9. Furi
Furi is a candidate for players drawn to boss-focused action. The available material does not substantiate its parry mechanics, so no specific claim about defensive timing or counter opportunities is warranted here.
Best Value
- YOUR VAULT HUNTER, YOUR PLAYSTYLE: Become one of four extraordinary Vault Hunters, each with unique abilities, playstyles, deep skill trees, and tons of personalization options.
- LOCK, LOAD, AND LOOT: With bazillions of guns and gadgets, every fight is an opportunity to score new gear. Firearms with self-propelling bullet shields? Check. Guns that grow legs and chase down enemies while hurling verbal insults? Yeah, got that too.
- A MAYHEM-FUELED THRILL RIDE: Discover new worlds beyond Pandora, each featuring unique environments to explore and enemies to destroy. Tear through hostile deserts, battle your way across war-torn cityscapes, navigate deadly bayous, and more!
- QUICK & SEAMLESS CO-OP ACTION: Play with a friend in online co-op, regardless of your level or mission progress. Take down enemies and challenges as a team, but reap rewards that are yours alone—no one misses out on loot.
- Includes: Borderlands 3 base game, Moxxi's Heist of the Handsome Jackpot, Guns, Love, and Tentacles: The Marriage of Wainwright & Hammerlock, Bounty of Blood, Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck, Designer's Cut, Director's Cut, and 30+ cosmetic items.
Best fit: readers looking for a boss-focused possibility to investigate, rather than a recommendation supported by a detailed mechanics source.
10. Hi-Fi Rush
Hi-Fi Rush is a candidate for players who like rhythmic action and want to explore how defensive actions fit into that style. The available references do not verify its parry system or establish its rewards, so this entry does not claim that a parry has a particular timing rule or combat effect.
Best fit: readers interested in rhythmic action who are open to checking the combat for themselves; the parry-specific case is not established by the sources cited here.
What separates a rewarding parry from a mere block?
A useful way to judge these systems is to ask three questions while you play: what counts as success, what changes after it, and what choices remain if you do not want to rely on parrying? The sourced examples show distinct outcomes: Ghost of Tsushima’s upgraded perfect parry opens a stronger counter and grants Resolve; Sifu’s timely parries can unbalance opponents and enable counterattacks or throws; PlayStation describes Wo Long’s Deflect as helping maintain momentum.
Those examples should not be treated as a universal ranking or a complete mechanical comparison. The cited sources do not provide a common timing test across all ten games, and several entries above are candidates with limited parry-specific documentation. Consider the encounter context too: a system that feels rewarding in a duel may not suit someone who prefers crowd fights, while a boss-focused game may appeal to a different kind of practice.
