I'm talking about a dedicated block button. A parry really isn't the same thing. Ninja Gaiden, for instance, has both a block (or guard) and a parry. This game is basically Ninja Raiden, so why no block/guard?
Defensive Offensive only works when you're dodging an attack though. Right? I mean, I tried multiple times when there weren't any enemies around and didn't get it to work, but I may be wrong about that one. If so, my bad. But still, I don't feel like Raiden is as nimble and acrobatic in the gameplay as he is in the QTEs and cutscenes (not to mention MGS4). I feel like he should be able to double jump and roll and flip on command, all while slicing and dicing up his foes.
I guess that's the crux of my issue: there's a sizable dissonance between gameplay Raiden and cutscene Raiden.
You can use Defensive Offense anywhere. It's not context sensitive. It's essentially a dash+attack with invincibility frames.
The block mechanic in MGR is truly unique, and I love the game more for it. The timing is SO generous and only takes a slight bit of practice at the beginning. Anyone can do it, especially on the normal difficulty. Perfect parries obviously take a little more work.
There's always a dissonance between gameplay and cutscenes for characters.