- Players can parry in 007 First Light by pressing the Circle/B on the controller and Q on PC.
- 007 First Light also has a sidestep mechanic to avoid hits from enemies.
- Players can follow up a perfect parry with a takedown or grabbing enemies.
IO Interactive’s new origin story for James Bond, 007 First Light, puts hand-to-hand combat front and center in its gameplay. Just like any other melee combat system, players find themselves asking the same question: how to parry in 007 First Light. Here’s a guide that breaks down everything you need to know about this combat mechanic.
How Parrying Works in 007 First Light
Parrying in 007 First Light is mapped to the Circle button on PlayStation and the B button on Xbox. On PC, the default keybind for the parry mechanic is assigned to the Q button. Players can also use the X/A button to sidestep incoming attacks, giving them two defensive options in a fight.
Parrying an attack stops the blow and can create an opening to instantly take down your enemy. Meanwhile, the sidestep mechanic moves Bond out of the way of an attack. Both mechanics are quite useful in their own right. However, a well-timed parry puts players in a much stronger counter-attack position.
To execute a perfect parry in 007 First Light, players need to look for the visual cue and hit the parry button when an enemy flashes yellow. It’s a mechanic that you have likely seen in other action games like the Assassin’s Creed titles. However, First Light’s combat system makes the parry much more satisfying.
The yellow flash appears just before an enemy’s strike lands. The timing window for the parry in 007 First Light is forgiving on lower difficulties but tightens up on harder settings. You will need to practice your parry timings, something you can start doing 24 hours early if you pre-ordered 007 First Light.
Why You Should Parry in 007 First Light?
Even on easier difficulty settings, 007 First Light’s enemies are quite brutal, especially when they gang up on you. Standing still and trading blows is not a viable strategy. Parrying serves as your primary tool to break the rhythm of a fight and regain control.
A successful parry briefly staggers an opponent and gives you a window to punish with follow-up strikes or chain into a takedown. Once an enemy is off-balance, you can execute a takedown by pressing X and Square (PlayStation) together. You can also use the R2/RT button to grab an enemy and bash them against hard surfaces to knock them out.
How do you feel about the inclusion of a parry system in 007 First Light? Tell us in the comments below!
Pranav Maytray
