With multiple good fighters coming out in 2008, will Street Fighter IV's name be enough to have it succeed? (Assuming it's released in 08, as it has no official date.) It depends. The game does have a rabid fanbase, and now that all their favorites are confirmed, we're starting to wonder who the new characters are. To placate us, Capcom released screens featuring a new character, Abel. Abel appears to be kick-boxing inspired, though just that of course that tells us nothing about how he will play (which is the important part). The semi-controversial, over-the-top facial animations are here in full form as well, and the graphics, though again not loved by all, are nevertheless very well done and have a very close feel to that of the old 2D hand-animated games. With all these reveals regarding the game, here's to hoping that it hits shelves before the year is out.
Abel's character bio and concept shot after the break.
"Abel - The man with no past"
"With no memory of his past, this young man has no choice but to move forward, using any clue he can get his hands on to rout out what may be left of Shadaloo. His fighting style represents a mix of multiple martial arts. Though he appears gruff and unfriendly on the surface, he is not the misanthrope he seems to be. His serious and polite nature is easy to misinterpret as indifference, but these still waters run deep indeed."
