Mortal Shell 2: How to parry
Overview & Key Takeaways
Like most Soulslikes, Mortal Shell 2 features plenty of good ol' fashioned parrying. This is only one of several possibilities for combat that open up when you equip the game's Seals, which offer different ways of countering enemy attacks.
Parrying will probably feel familiar if you've played just about any other Souls game, but the fact that it's tied to a Seal is unusual. In this guide we'll provide a complete rundown of how to parry in Mortal Shell 2, as well as the benefits of doing so versus guarding.
Like most Soulslikes, Mortal Shell 2 features plenty of good ol' fashioned parrying. This is only one of several possibilities for combat that open up when you equip the game's Seals, which offer different ways of countering enemy attacks.
Parrying will probably feel familiar if you've played just about any other Souls game, but the fact that it's tied to a Seal is unusual. In this guide we'll provide a complete rundown of how to parry in Mortal Shell 2, as well as the benefits of doing so versus guarding.
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How to parry
To parry in Mortal Shell 2, you need to equip the Infinite Seal. Progress past the Prologue and reach the Marrow Keep. From the Marrow Keep Beacon, go through the exit that leads to a cavern with an arena alongside several white stone coffins lit by candles. There's a lone masked woman standing at the ready in the arena, and this is Sester Genessa.
Sester Genessa is back, and this time she's going to teach you the art of the blade. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
If you played the first Mortal Shell, you'll recognise her as the face behind that game's save system. Here, she takes on a more active role as a trainer of combat techniques, including how to parry. (She also becomes a playable Shell later down the line.)
Speak with Sester Genessa to prompt a tutorial on how to guard and pull off a Perfect Guard. Sester Genessa comes at you with a series of attacks, and she flashes yellow when it's the right time to guard. Press LB to do so, and after successfully guarding three of her attacks, you'll be rewarded with the Infinite Seal.
Equip the Infinite Seal. If you want to try practicing with it, speak with Sester Genessa and it'll be an option in her menu. She'll attack you in the same fashion, and you can parry by pressing LB.
Beat up Sester Genessa a bit, and the power of the Infinite Seal is yours. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Keep in mind the following:
- The parry window is less generous than guarding, and forces you to be more precise.
- Parrying deals more Break damage than a Perfect Guard, which is its main advantage over the Untarnished Seal.
- Since parrying and guarding are both tied to Seals in this game, once you equip the Infinite Seal you will not be able to perform a guard. You also won't be able to Harden, which requires Vatra's Seal and offers up a separate series of benefits and drawbacks. (See our guide on how to Harden for more info.)
Parry vs guard
You may be wondering: what's the difference between parrying and guarding?
A parry is when you use your weapon with precise timing to deflect an enemy's attack, dealing Break damage. Guarding is mistimed and simply blocks the attack without dealing any Break damage (in fact, you take Break damage).
If you manage to time your guard just right, you can initiate a Perfect Guard to deal Break damage. But a successfully executed parry will always deal more Break damage to your opponent than a Perfect Guard, making it much easier to perform a Riposte for massive damage.
Note Sester Genessa's yellow Break bar and how it's almost full. A red dot is visible on her, indicating that we can perform a Riposte. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Confused about Break damage? It basically affects an opponent's poise, and can be measured by the yellow bar beneath their HP meter. Dealing Break damage fills this bar, and when it's full or nearly full, your foe will glow with a red dot, indicating that they're open for a Riposte. As a general rule of thumb, an enemy that requires two successful Perfect Guards to Break may only require a single parry.
Parrying is therefore a high-risk, high-reward activity, as it is in most Soulslikes. But Mortal Shell 2 ties this skill to a Seal, and offers up alternatives like guarding and hardening, which means that the ability to change your playstyle on the fly is vast.
That finishes our guide on how to parry in Mortal Shell 2. For more on tips on getting started, check out our guides on how to fast travel between Beacons, the Immersive Camera vs the Action Camera, how to get the Axe and Dagger, and how to get the Lute. Out list of all bosses will also serve you well as you get your preferred Shell ready for combat, and our walkthrough is a vital resource to ensure you can 100% this killer Soulslike.
