There are a lot of returning abilities in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, in addition to all the new main abilities Link gets, like Fuse, Ultrahand, Ascend, and Recall. Just like in Breath of the Wild, it's still possible to shield surf, Shrines and stamina are still core elements of the gameplay, and the durability system of Breath of the Wild comes back, too.
Though much of the game is new, another mechanic that returns to Tears of the Kingdom is the Flurry Attack and Perfect Dodge. In Breath of the Wild, players who were able to time a dodge to barely avoid an enemy's attack could retaliate with a whirlwind of slashes in slow motion. The mechanic is no different in Tears of the Kingdom, but players new to the new Zelda formula – or those returning after nearly six years – could always do with a refresher.
How To Perfect Dodge & Flurry Attack in Tears of the Kingdom
When Link is locked onto an enemy, or when he is holding down the guard button, the camera stays focused on them and opens up a new set of moves for close combat. Link can't usually dodge when running around the world, but when locked onto an enemy, players can press X (jump) to make him quickly backflip or leap sideways away from an incoming attack.
Normally, this creates a bit of space and helps the player avoid losing hearts. However, if players are able to time this so that they flip out of the way at the last possible moment, they will trigger a Perfect Dodge. The game will slow down, and a new prompt will appear on-screen as Link lands: Flurry Attack. Rapidly press the attack button (Y) to make Link swing his currently equipped weapon at the target relentlessly.
The best way to get better at Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Perfect Dodges is to spend some time learning enemy movements and attack patterns. The Captain constructs on the Great Sky Island, for example, can attack with side swings and a vertical slash, as well as a spinning attack that's hard to avoid. It's better to backflip from horizontal attacks and to side-dodge for vertical ones, so in this case, if Link dodges to the side from the Captain construct's vertical slash, or backflips away from the side swings, he will get the opportunity to retaliate.
Be sure to spend some time messing around with this mechanic as it can take some practice to get good at the timing. It's an invaluable skill, and especially useful against bosses.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.