Blocking Leon Kennedy’s progress in Resident Evil Requiem is the Commander, an unnamed foe located in the ARK underground laboratory. Unlike bigger foes like the Chunk and Giant Spider, this boss will test your ability to swap between parrying and shooting on the fly. Think of it as a John Wick movie fight brought to life, as there are few distractions between you and the Commander.
The Commander is a reactive boss fight
The most important thing to know about this encounter is that directly attacking the Commander will almost always end in his favor. He will dodge gunshots up close, parry your hatchet strikes, and even counterattack when you have your gun out.
The best course of action is to play defensively. Parry his melee strikes (he can do up to three at a time) and take note of when his combos end and when he gets stunned. If you’re fast enough, you’ll be able to get in a quick shot with your guns before he closes the gap and prepares for another attack.
The Commander will occasionally toss in a spinning hatchet strike, either as a solo attack or mixed in with his melee combo. This move has a delayed parry timing, so you’ll have to adjust your inputs to avoid getting nicked by it.
Successful parries can also open up the Commander to a melee attack prompt. Unlike something like the Super Tyrant boss, which lets you get a few shots in before finishing with a hatchet strike, you only have enough time to perform the execution.
Don’t bother shooting the Commander when he pops out his own pistol, as his quick movements allow him to avoid your shots. Instead, focus on closing the distance and resume your hatchet dance of death.
Phase two plays with your vision and requires you to be more alert
Once you’ve dealt enough damage, the Commander will throw down a flashbang and attempt to strangle you. Quickly press the required input to escape and be prepared to adapt to the smoke that will fill the room.
The Commander will start to employ more hit-and-run tactics, such as hiding behind cover to shoot you and crouch walking in the smoke to execute some sneaky melee attacks. He will also occasionally toss flashbangs and try to strangle you again when you least expect it.
Continuously parrying the Commander’s attacks and shooting him when he is stunned will result in Leon performing a satisfying execution to eliminate the boss. Make sure to pick up his unique Mortal Edge hatchet before leaving the room, as well as any other supplies that you might have missed.
Resident Evil Requiem is available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and Windows (Steam).
Related:
Resident Evil Requiem: How to get the “Bang For Your Buck” achievement
Resident Evil Requiem: How to defeat the Blister Borne in the chapel
