While the number of Soulslikes continues to grow by leaps and bounds, certain fundamentals established by the games of FromSoftware remain omnipresent within the genre. One of the more common threads that connects all Soulslikes is the existence of a parry mechanic, with methodical, stamina-based combat and countering enemy movements acting as twin pillars that support the genre’s encounters. Jyamma Games’Enotria: The Last Songis another Soulslike that builds its combat system around these pillars, but it does so uniquely. Rather than simply borrow the parry/riposte mechanic fromDark Soulsand call it a day,Enotriamixes in a fair share ofSekirointo how it handles countering enemies.
The ability to parry enemies has been present in all themodern FromSoftware action RPGs(including 2009’sDemon’s Souls), leading to it becoming a staple of the games that followed in their wake. But whereasDark Soulsrelies on stats like poise to determine whether a single parry is enough to open them up for a stagger and riposte, FromSoftware introduced a poster meter inSekirothat finally gave players a visual component to work with in terms of staggering enemies for brutal follow-up attacks.Enotriasits squarely between both of these approaches, providing a satisfying flow of combat that simultaneously feels less rigid.
Enotria: The Last Song’s Unraveling is Sekiro’s Posture in All But Name
Unlike the otherFromSoftware gamesin the “Soulsborne” line,Sekiroforces each player down a specific path in terms of their playstyle. Sure, there are different prosthetics that players can use and different approaches that one player might take to an encounter over another. Ultimately, though,Sekirois all about breaking enemies' posture meters and delivering Deathblows.Enotriagives players plenty of freedom in how they build out their character and play the game (including the ability to store multiple builds), but its combat is ultimately based on a similar system.
Instead of calling this meter the enemy’s “posture” meter,Enotriarefers to it as a state known as “unravel”. After building this meter up through dealing damage and deflecting attacks (also similar to how Wolf breaksposture inSekiro), enemies become vulnerable to a devastating counter blow that can significantly reduce their health. As a result,Enotriarepresents both a classic and modern Soulslike approach to parrying, allowing players the freedom of expression inDark Soulswhile visualizing a buildable stagger meter akin toSekiro.
Enotria’s ‘Middle Ground’ Approach is Less Rigid and More Forgiving Than Sekiro
While it’s not for everyone,Sekiro’s combatis perhaps some of the most fine-tuned and well-balanced encounter design in FromSoftware’s impressive library. That said, it is by no means easy, with many encounters boiling down to trading blows back and forth and hoping to come out on top.Sekiro’s combat is arguably the gold standard of parry-based encounter design (hence why it would serve as the basis forLies of P’s) but it is extremely rigid, and the reality of the model’s rigidity and singular vision is an unwavering challenge.
In contrast,Enotriafeatures a more flexible parry system that is still challenging but offers avenues for redemption or alternate approaches when mistakes are made and players come up against a skill block. Deflecting enemy attacks is still the best way to approachEnotria’s challenging boss encounters, but the availability for players to try other avenues movesEnotriacloser to the game it is definitely closest to in the FromSoftware catalog:Dark Souls. As such,Enotriacould serve as an ideal entry point for any player who struggles with parry mechanics, helping them come to grips with the feel and flow of deflecting blows and trading counters with enemies.
