How to Parry in Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Kena: Bridge of Spirits may look cute, but its combat can be deceptively tricky. Players will need to learn to parry if they want to be the best spirit guide.

Ember Lab's new action-adventure, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, is out now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows PCs. Players control Kena, a young spirit guide who uses her magical abilities to help ferry the dead from the physical to the spirit world. Armed with magic and a trusty staff, Kena will face up against a variety of monsters. Contrary to the game's charming appearance, many of these creatures might pose a fair challenge so learning to master the fast-paced combat is a must.

One skill will be particularly important to nail down: parrying. Here's what you need to know.

How to Parry in Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Players might be inclined to rely on Kena's shield during combat, and it's certainly a useful tool. Early on, it might feel like the easiest option when faced with an enemy attack, but as the game progresses the enemy encounters can get a bit trickier. The shield slows Kena down, and once faced with some fast-hitting enemies, it'll become difficult to withstand every hit. The alternative is to parry, which will be a useful skill to master early on.

The shield can be used by holding L1. This drains your purple bar so it's best not to hold it forever. To parry an enemy, tap L1 just before they hit you. This knocks an enemy back, leaving them open for an attack.

Players can press their Light Attack button after parrying to perform a spinning attack. This makes Kena perform a Parry Counter.

Using and mastering these skills will set players up with much better grounds for success, even when encountering the most difficult enemies that the game has to offer.