Crimson Moon Controls & Parry Timing — Full Key and Button Layout

Crimson Moon Controls & Parry Timing

The PC launch shipped without keyboard remapping — it was the single most-cited launch complaint and shipped as alpha in Patch 1.0.0.1 on September 3, with full remapping and mouse sensitivity options. The dev-posted control layout below is the default PC keyboard + controller mapping at launch.

PC keyboard (default, pre-Patch 1.0.0.1)

Controller (default)

Keybinding status (as of Patch 1.0.0.1)

Per Patch 1.0.0.1 release notes:

"Alpha keyboard remapping and mouse sensitivity shipped two days after launch (build 162350). You can rebind every action and revert to defaults under Settings → Keyboard → custom profile."

What shipped in Patch 1.0.0.1:
- Every action rebindable
- Mouse sensitivity slider
- Revert-to-defaults option

What did NOT ship in 1.0.0.1 (deferred):
- Multiple bindings per action
- Double-tap inputs
- Hold inputs (e.g. hold-to-charge Weapon Art)
- Per-controller-button remapping on console (deferred to Patch 1.1, October)

The Hotfix 1.0.1 release notes (see update) also added:
- HUD scaling options
- Custom bindings shown in on-screen prompts
- Distinct L/R Shift icons

Parry timing

Parry is the highest-skill expression in Crimson Moon combat — it charges your Angel Ascension meter faster than any other action, and a successful parry windows a guaranteed counter-attack.

The window

Per launch-week Steam community discussion and the developer-run Crimson Moon Wiki:

• Parry window: ~6-8 frames at 60 FPS (≈100-130 ms). Specific frames are not in first-party sources — community-tested.
• Input: Block / Parry input pressed just before the incoming attack lands
• Visual cue: Enemy weapons flash or change animation in the wind-up frames before the hit

What a successful parry does

• Charges Angel Ascension — faster than dodging or attacking
• Windows a guaranteed counter-attack — full combo damage for free
• Triggers a "perfect parry" animation with audio / visual feedback (per launch screenshots)

Red-aura attacks — dodge, don't parry

Per crimsonmoonguide.online's "Your First Hunt" guide:

"Red-aura attacks must be dodged. They are unparryable."

This is one of the most-mentioned mechanics in the Player Tips guide and the launch tutorial. Red-aura attacks are the enemy's "no-parry" tell — your dodge i-frames are the only counter.

Parry on bosses

Boss parry windows are tighter than mob parry windows. Most Dead God and Vessel attacks have:

• Longer wind-up (more readable)
• Tighter parry window (more punishing)
• Heavier punishment on miss (massive damage taken)

Per the Bosses page, parrying Dead Gods is what banks enough Angel Ascension for the burst-window transformation that kills them.

Mouse sensitivity

Per Patch 1.0.0.1: mouse sensitivity slider ships in Settings → Mouse. Pre-launch mouse sensitivity was a fixed value and was the second most-cited PC complaint alongside missing keybinding. Confirmed patched in 1.0.0.1.

Camera and FOV

Per Hotfix 1.0.1 release notes:

• Camera improvements for large stationary bosses (Tyrigon, Dry Rot King)
• Lock-on improvements for the same

Per the Steam review themes analysis, camera is the most-cited PC complaint that is not a settings gap — the launch camera had issues with large bosses and wide swings. FOV is not yet a configurable option (deferred to a future patch).

Related

• Patch 1.0.0.1 keybinding release notes
• Hotfix 1.0.1 release notes
• Angels — parries feed the Angel Ascension meter
• Bosses & Enemies — parry timing on Dead Gods
• Player Tips (First Week) — community-claimed parry tips
• System Requirements — PC hardware needed for smooth 60 FPS

Confirmed by

• Steam store page ↗ — base control scheme
• Patch 1.0.0.1 keybinding release notes — alpha keybinding shipped Sept 3
• Hotfix 1.0.1 release notes — camera / lock-on fixes, HUD scaling
• crimsonmoonguide.online Controls & Parry Timing page (community wiki, cross-checked)
• Player Tips guide — red-aura attacks