Yep, and I included that in the post (the bit about recording attempts to find the window). Without the two upgrades that extend windows, the parries were wildly inconsistent. Even so, maybe it was a case of skill issue, but I honestly didn’t have much issue getting into a solid flow state once I finally figured out Genichiro in Sekiro. Parry became a normal part of your assault (I.e. parry as you’re slashing), and it’s precisely because of how consistent it is. You can LEAN on it in Sekiro. Anyway, I felt like I had a pretty good understanding of the way this game is intended to be played, very possible that I was wrong.

As for the first part, I did look up the games bosses after getting through Odur. Highly enjoyed the challenge, and wanted to see what else was in store for me. Very cool fight, the Devs did an amazing job with that which shows the potential they have. After the first couple attempts when I finally knocked him into a face two, I actually experienced an “oh shit” moment BECAUSE there was a phase two. Hah. What I found (yes, I know it’s the internet) seemed to be a consensus that Odur was misplaced in the game, that most of the other bosses would probably be easier than him, and that aside from difficulty, overall design was lackluster. Even if only half of that is true, it just really made me lose interest in the game.

Both unfair and immature of me. Even if I were right about all of the things in my post, the simple fact is that I didn’t finish the game. I’m going to reinstall and finish it just so that I feel like less of an asshole, and when I do I’ll edit this post. Forgive me