Parrying is an advanced move in the Souls games, as you can deflect an enemy's attack. Remarkably, a number of bosses can be dismantled with a parry, too. Most players (i.e. me) are too busy rolling out of the way of a sword to worry about knocking it back, but it's impressive to watch a player casually swat away Dark Souls II's most powerful baddies.
zoikoikum makes this look easy, but it's definitely not. Parrying requires immaculate timing, especially on bosses, as the speed of their is often much different than regular enemies. It's easier to dodge out of the way or block, rather than trying to nail the tiny window for a parry.
A parry doesn't guarantee you very much with bosses, either. With most creatures, a parry can be quickly followed by a riposte, an extremely powerful counter performed. Just because a boss's attack can be parried, however, doesn't mean a riposte can soon follow. Here's a riposte:
Either way, parrying bosses looks rad, and reminds me how I'm barely okay at the Souls games. I look forward to players making me feel bad about my Bloodborne skills later next month, too.
You can reach the author of this post at patrick.klepek@kotaku.com or on Twitter at @patrickklepek.