I love your concept of only being able to parry. Maybe take it a step further and make everything the main character does just be some form of parry. Opening doors. Interacting with objects.. would be very funny. The parry timings were unforgivingly short which gave the skull bats in particular a sinister aura. And maybe more interaction with death than just that final low hp boost, I barely got to make use of it because I only got one chance every life. Nonetheless wonderful game!