To really nail the ranged combat you'll want to focus on those floating enemies first since they're hard to hit with regular attacks. When you see enemies coming in from above, switch to ranged mode with lt/l2, and pick them off quickly since they usually don't have much health. Good positioning is super critical here - keep an eye out for those gradient attack tells, and make sure you've got room to dodge when things get intense.

Something interesting about weak points - most enemies have these glowing spots, usually on their head or core, and hitting those with ranged attacks is absolutely brutal. You'll know you're doing it right when you see those damage numbers spike. Shield enemies can be a real pain, but a single ap ranged shot will usually break their guard, letting you follow up with your stronger moves.

The real trick is watching enemy formations and timing your ap usage. When you see those gradient attacks coming, having that extra distance from ranged mode gives you way more time to react, and you can usually dodge or parry way more consistently. Just remember that each shot costs 1 ap so you'll want to save some for when things get really hectic, especially during those moments when multiple enemies are winding up attacks at once.