If you’re playing the Resident Evil 4 Remake, you’re going to have to face a lot of enemies right from the start. As Leon heads to the village, he’s going to come up against a group of Plaga-infected villagers who can really get up close and personal. They’ll run at him with pitchforks, and some will even chuck axes from far away.

But don’t worry, you can use Leon’s Parry move to stun them and then hit them with a powerful melee attack.

So How Do You Parry?

To Parry, you’ll need to hit the L1 button on PlayStation, LB on Xbox, or Space Bar on PC right before an attack hits. Sometimes there’ll be a prompt, but don’t rely on it. If you get it right, you’ll hear a metallic clang, and the attacker will be knocked back or the projectile will be deflected harmlessly. If the enemy is stunned, you can follow up with a strong Melee attack by hitting the X Button (A Button on Xbox / F Key on PC), which will knock them to the ground.

Just keep in mind that not all enemies can be taken down with just one parry. Some will attack multiple times, so you’ll need to be ready for that. And some attacks can’t be parried at all, so be sure to dodge them if you can. Parrying is a great tool to help you get through tough spots, especially when you’re facing a group of villagers hiding around corners or in other sneaky spots.

Keep An Eye On Knife Durability

It’s important to note that Leon can’t just parry attacks with his bare hands. He needs a Knife, and as he uses it to deflect projectiles, parry enemies, and take down foes through stealth kills, the Knife will take damage. Once it sustains a certain amount of damage, it will break.

But don’t worry, Leon starts the game with the Combat Knife and can find other types of knives (like Kitchen Knives and Boot Knives) as he makes his way through the game. As long as players have a non-broken Knife in their inventory, it will automatically be equipped and ready for parrying.

The only catch is that knives will disappear once they break, which is why it’s important to keep them in good condition. Luckily, Leon can repair his Combat Knife by visiting the Merchant and selecting the Tune-Up option. This way, he won’t have to constantly worry about finding new knives.

Additionally, players can upgrade the Combat Knife’s durability at the Merchant, so that it lasts longer before breaking. Keep that in mind if you want to stay well-equipped for the dangers ahead.