It is impossible to overlook how important the parry mechanic is for Resident Evil 4’s remake. Like how seminal the arcade-esque controls of the original Resident Evil 4 were 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 if Resident Evil 9 or a potential Resident Evil 5 remake can improve upon the Resident Evil 4 remake, but The Last of Us could certainly take inspiration from it as its own new combat mechanic.
The Last of Us Part 2 reprises long and short guns to 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. Because The 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 in Resident Evil 4’s remake.
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’ grappling was always a bit better than the awkwardly long punch-outs from Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, though they were improved greatly in The Last of Us Part 2 when 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 in The Last of Us because of how much fumbling around there is. Ellie and others are not necessarily trained fighters, but the Fireflies and the WLFs have 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 into The Last of Us, and it could function exactly like Resident Evil’s new parry. Leon’s knives all degrade with each attack, parry, and defensive stab, for example, and The Last of Us’ melee weapons also have degradable durability. Ellie’s switchblade is the only melee weapon that does not degrade, and if she was featured in The Last of Us Part 3 it would be exciting to see her having learned to parry using her knife. Abby is already tactically trained, and Part 3 could 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 suddenly The Last of Us’ combat capabilities would be as thorough and fluid as Resident Evil 4’s remake. It would be incredible to see a parry or any new combat mechanics introduced for The Last of Us Part 3, but it would be even more exceptional if these mechanics were added as soon as in The Last of Us’ multiplayer spin-off.
Resident Evil 4 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.