God of War Ragnarok offers challenging fights and brutal enemies, especially at higher difficulty levels. Kratos can count on his Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos, but these weapons can’t win the fight alone. Fortunately, the Ghost of Sparta also has a shield at his disposal, which can be powered up just like the Blades and the Axe, and represents the only way of parrying in the game.
Mastering the parry technique in God of War Ragnarok is not simple, as it requires practice and perfect timing. Therefore, we have gathered some valuable tips to help you parry every enemy attack in the game.
Understanding Enemies’ Attacks
In God of War Ragnarok, enemies perform different types of attacks. The first is the most basic, involving a simple offensive coming from anyone. You can block it with your shield by pressing L1 when you are just one step away from being hit, so you will be able to stop the attack and have time to react. Otherwise, you can avoid it by dodging it.
Most enemies can also perform more potent attacks, which will come with a yellow ring around them. You can lift your shield to block them by pressing L1 so that you won’t take any damage. However, this can break your guard and leave you exposed to any other incoming offensive. However, if you get the right timing and press L1 just right, you can evade it and prepare for a counterattack. Alternatively, this kind of attack can also be avoided by dodging.
Stronger foes can perform unblockable attacks, which will deal you a massive amount of damage if you get hit. The only way to avoid that is to dodge them in time, as your shield will not be able to block them effectively. If you use it, you will still lose some health, but not as much as you would if being hit without any protection.
Lastly, enemies in God of War Ragnarok can heavily damage you if you get hit when you see two blue rings around them. The only way to interrupt it is by quickly tapping L1 twice, so you can break their offensive with your shield and prepare for a fast counterattack. You could also dodge it, but we do not recommend that. You could still get hit by a follow-up attack and lose a great opportunity to break their guard.
Parrying Tips in God of War Ragnarok
To win the most challenging battles in God of War Ragnarok, you must learn to parry as soon as possible and practice a lot. You can block an incoming enemy attack by pressing L1, but only well-timed moves will let you effectively perform a perfect evade.
You can start exercising with timings since the initial stages of the game, as you will have fewer difficulties against less challenging enemies. Try to block incoming attacks by pressing L1 at the very last second, so you will have more chances to throw your foes off balance and get special effects that will last for a few seconds, depending on the shield you have equipped. The Dauntless Shield is the perfect choice for anyone that wants to base their build on this specific combat style; otherwise, you can select other shields.
It’s all a matter of timing and habit. Once you have mastered the parrying technique, you will be able to defeat stronger enemies without frequently dying at higher difficulty levels. Make yourself at ease with that L1 button, and if anything goes against your plans, you can always restart from the last checkpoint. Remember that if you are against a large group of enemies, you should better focus on one opponent at a time and don’t hesitate to dodge if you feel so. Parrying is not always the right choice, even if it grants additional buffs when executed perfectly.
If you still need help with God of War Ragnarok, you can also check our beginners’ guide about the game.
Products mentioned in this post
