It is impossible to overlook how important the parry mechanic is forResident Evil 4’s remake. Like how seminal the arcade-esque controls of the originalResident Evil 4were at the time, the remake has been able to add its own new stamp on the franchise that was not there before, but makes perfect sense with an older and more skilled Leon Kennedy. It will be exciting to see ifResident Evil 9or a potentialResident Evil 5remakecan improve upon theResident Evil 4remake, butThe Last of Uscould certainly take inspiration from it as its own new combat mechanic.
The Last of Us Part 2reprises long and short gunsto phenomenal effect with silencers, updated skill trees, and many other mechanics that improve them. Its melee combat, however, is still impactful with cinematic grappling and hard-hitting finisher animations. BecauseThe Last of Us Part 2’s melee combat feels so incredible now, it seems there is only one way it could truly improve in a post-apocalyptic world, and that is through a dedicated parry mechanic like Leon has now inResident Evil 4’s remake.
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The Last of Us’ Combat Has Hit a Ceiling
The Last of Us’ original melee combat was stifling because one-on-one encounters were serviceable, but if any other enemies were around, it was impossible to efficiently beat someone down in time before the other attacker could interrupt the player.The Last of Us’ grapplingwas always a bit better than the awkwardly long punch-outs fromUncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, though they were improved greatly inThe Last of Us Part 2when Naughty Dog introduced quick-step dodges.
Punches now land a lot more effectively on enemies and, if timed well, players can overwhelm an enemy and evade their exchanges before another enemy can approach. Abby is considerably more adept at close-quarters combat than Ellie, while Ellie maintains an edge through her indestructible switchblade as a reliable weapon. Melee encounters are satisfying inThe Last of Usbecause of how much fumbling around there is. Ellie and others are not necessarily trained fighters, butthe Fireflies and the WLFshave that expertise on their side, making them dominant threats when it comes to a gunfight or a fistfight.
The Last of Us’ Combat Could Evolve with Resident Evil 4 Remake’s Parry
A parry would adapt well intoThe Last of Us, and it could function exactly likeResident Evil’s new parry. Leon’s knives all degrade with each attack, parry, and defensive stab, for example, andThe Last of Us’ melee weaponsalso have degradable durability. Ellie’s switchblade is the only melee weapon that does not degrade, and if she was featured inThe Last of Us Part 3it would be exciting to see her having learned to parry using her knife. Abby is already tactically trained, andPart 3could feature her as its playable protagonist instead, meaning that the parry mechanic would work with Abby as well.
It would only need to be explained that this counterattack was learned through someone else, and suddenlyThe Last of Us’ combat capabilities would be as thorough and fluid asResident Evil 4’s remake. It would be incredible to see a parry or any new combat mechanics introduced forThe Last of Us Part 3, but it would be even more exceptional if these mechanics were added as soon as inThe Last of Us’ multiplayer spin-off.
Resident Evil 4is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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