BioWare's latest Dragon Age: Inquisition gameplay stream takes a closer look at the PC version of the game, complete with a "keyboard cam" that highlights the advantages of playing with a mouse and keyboard. The action takes place during a fairly early stage in the game but it's still a bit "spoilery", as narrators Cameron Lee and Mike Laidlaw put it, so you might want to avoid it if you're determined to go into the game as cold as possible. But if you're not hung up on that, there's a lot of good stuff to see.
The PC interface is the big attraction here, and the video offers a look at elements including the "war table" and the dialog wheel that comes up during conversations with NPCs. Responses can be selected with the mouse or keyboard, and those that reflect a particular emotional state will also sport specific icons, although that can be turned off via the options menu.
The stream also explains how players will send scouts into an area in order to open it up to further exploration (a segment that includes my favorite part of the video, an interface question that literally asks if you want to gather your party and venture forth), and eventually digs a bit into Laidlaw's "advanced class" character, a Knight Enchanter. Naturally, there's a good chunk of gameplay on show as well.
I should acknowledge up front that I've never played an RPG with a controller, so I'm coming at the issue from a place of complete inexperience. That said, I cannot imagine how it's possible to play a complex game like Dragon Age: Inquisition without the flexibility of a mouse and keyboard. Which isn't to suggest that it can't be done, but I'm sure glad I won't have to.
Dragon Age: Inquisition comes out on November 18.
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