Despite relying on some familiar gameplay mechanics and tropes, Valor Mortis offers plenty of in-depth mechanics and gameplay systems that can be more than a little overwhelming to get the hang of.

Although there is plenty of time to figure things out as you go, there were still several mechanics or things that I wish I had known much earlier into my playthrough that will enhance your experience to keep in mind as you play.

While parrying the weaker enemies in Valor Mortis is heavily encouraged and not too difficult at the start, it can become easy to get into a habit of relying on dodging and just brute forcing your way through enemies with how varied their attacks can be.

Although you can get a bit into the story by relying on this method, parrying is still an essential part of the gameplay loop for most weapons with plenty of benefits. On top of not taking damage from blocking, parrying deals massive posture damage that can leave enemies vulnerable to a massive critical attack, and an additional window while they recover from the initial break.

If you're like me, you can go through an entire RPH without even touching the consumables in case you "need them for later," but in Valor Mortis, there's never a bad time to use them. On top of the fact that you'll get even stronger consumables later that will make saving your weaker ones useless, there's no benefit to hoarding the useful items.

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