The Combat Knife in the original Resident Evil 4 was primarily used to open crates and quickly slash at enemies in close quarters. There were also moments where you could use it to escape attacks from specific enemies. Now in the 2023 remake, the Combat Knife takes on a more central role in regular gameplay, and we’ll tell you everything you need to know about how to use it, including how to parry.
How to parry in Resident Evil 4 Remake.
The Combat Knife in Resident Evil 4 Remake¶
How to Parry With the Combat Knife¶
The main new function of the Combat Knife in the Resident Evil 4 Remake is its parry function. This works in a similar way to most parry mechanics in other games: you need to parry just at the moment that an attack is about to hit you, whether in melee or from a ranged attack. You’ll find that a lot of enemies will throw weapons at you including other knives, axes, and objects. Not all of these can be parried however, but most melee attacks from weapons can be parried. You won’t be able to parry unarmed attacks, such as when enemies attempt to grab you, but you can retaliate with your knife if you’re grabbed during the struggle.
The parry system is fairly forgiving in the RE4 remake. You won’t need to time it absolutely perfectly, and you can even spam the parry button to ensure a successful parry just as an attack animation from an enemy is occurring. You can parry by pressing 
Combat Knife Durability in RE4 Remake¶
It’s important to note that you won’t be able to parry indefinitely with most knives, since each time that you parry the durability of the knife will be slightly reduced. You can get a good amount of parries from the basic Combat Knife before it’s completely broken, but keep in mind that the durability will also be reduced more significantly if you have to use the knife while you’re being attacked after an enemy grabs you. You should avoid being grabbed where possible for this reason, and only parry attacks if you absolutely need to.
You’ll find that the most common scenarios where you’ll need to parry are when you’ve just been ambushed and surprised by an enemy, and there’s not time to get away or if you’re in a narrow corridor. You can also consistently parry if you’re being overwhelmed by multiple enemies, but you shouldn’t rely on parrying too much here since your knife will soon break. In addition, you can actually parry most attacks from tougher enemies, such as the chainsaw man, but this will reduce the durability of the knife significantly more than other attacks. It’s always better to run and create some distance between yourself and the enemy while you seek more ammo or another way to kill it first.
Retaliating Attacks With the Knife¶
As mentioned above, there will be times when you need to use your knife to stab an enemy in close quarters after they’ve grabbed you. This is a good move if you’re in a pinch that there’s no way out of, but be warned that it will reduce the durability of the knife much more than a simple parry will. You can only perform a few of these retaliatory attacks with the regular Combat Knife before it will break, so use this function sparingly and wisely.
Even basic attacks as you slash enemies with the knife will reduce its durability, by about the same amount that a parry does. The knife is an important and powerful tool, but the key thing when it comes to making the most out of it is knowing when it’s necessary to use, and when it’s better to use other tactics which will help to preserve it for those crucial moments.
Stealth Kills With the Knife in RE4 Remake¶
In addition to retaliatory attacks, you can now stealth kill enemies in one hit with the knife if you sneak up behind them and take them by surprise. You can use the new crouch system to do this more quietly, or try to rush an enemy and execute the knife attack before they’re able to respond. This will allow you to thin the hoards of enemies before you inevitably trigger the alarm and have them chasing you through an area.
(1 of 3) You won’t be able to parry unarmed attacks, but you can retaliate with the knife from them.
There are various upgrades to the knife and even different knives that you can use which will enhance its functionality, but you’ll acquire these as you play through the game. At present we know of five different knives that can be found:
- Combat Knife
- Kitchen Knife
- Boot Knife
- Fighting Knife
- Primal Knife
Another thing to note about the knives in the RE4 remake is that they are no longer required to open every barrel or container that you come across. Instead, you’ll now have an option to smash these objects open with melee attacks. You can see the combat knife in action in the video below.
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