Gab Hernandez 
A.B.A. returns as the newest DLC character in Season Pass 3 of Guilty Gear Strive, and as expected, she’s just as bizarre as ever.
Guilty Gear Strive has broken several records for the franchise since its 2021 release. On June 2021, Guilty Gear Strive beat the peak all-time concurrent player count of mainstream fighting games Tekken 7 and Street Fighter 5. A year later in August 2022, Guilty Gear Strive sold over one million copies, making it the best-selling title in the franchise’s history.
Critics attribute the game’s success to its unique visuals, creative game mechanics, and reliable online netcode. For its part, developer Arc System Works capitalized on the success with a series of DLC characters. Guilty Gear Strive’s Season Pass 3 pass previously revealed the suave zoner Johnny and rushdown specialist Elphelt. Now, the bizarre A.B.A enters the growing cast of characters in Guilty Gear Strive.
Who is A.B.A. and how does she play in Guilty Gear Strive?
A.B.A. is a homunculus grown in a laboratory and armed with a magical sentient weapon she named Paracelsus, who she believes to be her husband.
As a fan favorite, the community has welcomed A.B.A. with open arms. Notable changes include her hair switching from copper-red to turquoise-green, which led to speculations that she was starting to “oxidize.” Her weapon, Paracelsus, is also seemingly rotting away, transforming in a more visceral way than it did in previous iterations. It could mean A.B.A. is approaching the end of her intended lifespan as a homunculus, or it could just be a visual pun signifying that she’s green with jealousy.
As for her gameplay, A.B.A. is a stance-based fighter who must build a “Jealousy” gauge to activate “Jealous Rage,” which allows her to damage opponents with devastating attacks. Her regular stance is slower and more vulnerable, so players are encouraged to build their Jealousy gauge to enter the more aggressive and effective Jealous Rage mode. Jealousy Rage will deplete over time, so players must use their limited power-up time wisely.
Players can fill their Jealousy gauge by hitting opponents with certain attacks or by successfully blocking moves. Some attacks fill the Jealousy gauge more quickly than others, such as the “Bonding and Dissolving” move.
Given the vulnerability of her regular stance, punishing opponents from a defensive position is the optimal way to build the Jealousy gauge when playing A.B.A.
A.B.A. comes out for Guilty Gear Strive on March 26, 2024.
