I mean, as absurd as it sounds... yes? Play rhythm is something that is formed over tens, even hundreds of hours of play, and changing the timing and reach of attacks will eventually lead to zoning/positioning changes (say, a shorter punch leads players of that character to be more in their opponents face when they're being aggressive, a less effective grab can lead to it being used as a counter/set-up move rather than a primary DPS move) which will eventually on some level affect how that character is experienced as an opponent. Are they aggressive or are they passive? Do they rely on quick reflexes, counters, or do they aim towards dominating the fight? How do these things play into the characterisation communicated by their visual/audio design?

One of the reasons I'd love to be able to discuss this in depth with fighting game players is because fighting games include a whole extra layer of player-to-player interactions. When it's just me, playing against a preprogrammed opponent, I'm the only one interpreting the situation, and reinforcing my discoveries through trying to optimise the play style that feels "right" for that character. If I'm playing against another person, and they're playing a character in a way I'm not expecting, can that be interpreted as them playing "OOC"? And if they are successful, what does that mean for the characterisation?