Dragon Age: Inquisition's newest trailer puts tactical combat up front

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In the first of a series of Dragon Age: Inquisition "Gameplay Features" videos, Electronic Arts shows off how the game's combat works in both real-time and "strategic tactical" modes.

Electronic Arts appears to be taking a "something for everyone" approach to combat in the upcoming Dragon Age: Inquisition. Action-oriented players can customize NPC behavior in advance and then wade into the fray in real-time, swinging swords and slinging spells while in control of any character in the party. Those who prefer a more strategic approach may take advantage of the "tactical camera" for a top-down view of the battlefield, from where they can pause the action, assess the situation, issue orders, and then resume the fight.

Of course, watching gameplay videos isn't the same as actually playing the game, but it certainly looks impressive, even if it's not the promised PC interface on display. As mentioned, this is the first in a series of videos, so maybe we'll find out more about the how the mouse and keyboard interface works in a future release.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is out on November 18.

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.