Ghost of Tsushima is all about swordplay, and mastering the Perfect Parry technique provides players with significant combat benefits. This technique is one of the first skills Jin can learn, and players can use it to deliver a lethal counterattack that can also restore HP and Resolve. Doing a perfect parry can be the difference between life and death, but it's all about timing.

Ghost of Tsushima features multiple enemy types, all with unique attacks to watch out for. It's worth noting that Jin can Perfect Parry most weapon attacks, although parrying certain weapon types require unlocking additional skills. Getting a Perfect Parry involves parrying a weapon attack within a split-second time window, but there are ways for players to boost the chances that the parry will succeed.

How To Do A Perfect Parry In Ghost Of Tsushima

Players will know they have done a Perfect Parry when they press the block/parry button (L1), and time goes into slow motion, giving Jin time to land a high-damage counterattack. Pressing the L1 button repeatedly is not the best practice; although it can sometimes lead to perfectly timed parries, this is too random to be reliable. The best way is to oversee enemies to spot the gaps in their attack patterns.

Swordsmen are generally the easiest enemies to parry. Jin should parry roughly half a second after an enemy swings their sword for a Perfect Parry. The same advice is also true for enemies carrying small and big shields. Enemy attacks are generally well-telegraphed and easily spotted; players will typically only have issues due to the speed of some attacks. However, getting used to this takes practice.

To parry Spearmen, Jin needs to unlock the Unyielding Spear Parry Skill in Ghost of Tsushima. Without this, spear attacks will be marked by red lines, which indicate they cannot be blocked or parried. Spearmen will also pause but will pull their thrust back before attacking. The moment their hand pulls back and thrusts ahead when their body hides their arm, hit L1 for the Perfect Parry.

Enemies wielding two swords can also be encountered, but Perfect Parries against them require the Unyielding Sword Parry technique and can be challenging due to their multiple attack patterns. Abyx Gaming's video below has a great breakdown of their attack patterns.

Finally, players will also encounter archers. Their arrows can be parried with the Deflect Arrows technique, but the Perfect Parry cannot be used against them.

How To Make Perfect Parries Easier In Ghost Of Tsushima

Apart from practice, players can also find specific items and armor sets to make Perfect Parries easier. The first is to collect the Charm of Mizu-no-Kami, one of the best charms in Ghost of Tsushima, which makes Parries, Perfect Parries, and Perfect Dodges easier to perform. This charm can be found at the Spring Falls Shrine in Act 1.

Players with access to the game's excellent Iki Island expansion can also use this armor and charm combination to improve one of Ghost of Tsushima's most basic and most lethal combat techniques.

Source: YouTube/Abyx Gaming