Following on from the teaser released last month, Capcom has officially revealed popular character Akuma for Street Fighter V at last week’s PlayStation Experience, showcasing not just his impressive moveset, but a brand new hairdo.
Looking remarkably like a lion in human form, Akuma has apparently neglected to visit a hairdresser since his last appearance in Street Fighter IV, sporting a fierce red mane to complement his similarly fearsome power. It’s not just his physical appearance that’s been given a makeover, though, Akuma seemingly has several new moves in his already dangerous repertoire, including being able to perform a second Critical Art finisher.
You can feast your eyes on the trailer above or, alternatively, see the full rundown of Akuma’s moveset below, courtesy of Capcom.
Rakan
Akuma strikes a defensive stance and similar to Ryu’s Mind’s Eye, can parry an incoming attack. He can follow-up the move with an upward kick or a long reaching palm strike.
V-Trigger: Dohatsu Shoten
Akuma powers up and envelops his body with ki to enter Dohatsu Shoten mode. In this mode, his Gohadokens are more powerful, now able to travel full-screen and he can unleash two in the air even while jumping backwards. Additionally, when he lands his Goshoryuken attack, he follows-up and violently drives his opponents into the ground.
Critical Art: Sekia Koretsuha
Akuma channels an incredible amount of ki into his palm and drives it into the ground, striking the opponent with an exploding pillar of fierce energy.
Critical Art: Shun Goku Satsu
Only accessible while in Dohatsu Shoten mode, Akuma’s most powerful attack returns. He glides towards the opponent and grabs them, resulting in a series of devastating strikes in the blink of an eye.
Akuma is just the tip of the iceberg, however – there’s an entire second season of characters on their way to Street Fighter V in 2017, although who they are is anyone’s guess. If you’re hoping for the likes of Sagat, Sakura or other popular series characters to make a return next year though, you may be setting yourself up for a disappointment – Capcom says each new roster entry will be an entirely brand new character never-before-seen in a Street Fighter franchise.
It may have come a long way since its first few months, but Street Fighter V didn’t exactly make a good first impression back in March. As such, we look forward to seeing what form the game takes this time next year.
