So, thinking of picking this up. I've read up a little and I'm just bored of looking for clear answers to my questions.

1. How is the combat? I'm a fan of direct real time control. Point and click like Diablo, even though it is more or less real time, doesn't interest me; I like to feel like I have direct control over the attack. I didn't like DA1 because of the 'click on the bad guy you want to attack' set up, it felt like telling your character to attack instead of just attacking. I hope that makes sense. I don't mind having to go into the tactical view for party management and in difficult situations, but I'm concerned about how the characters play directly.

2. How is the co-op and multiplayer. I think it was Co-Optimus that said you can play the main campaign in co-op, but also said the controls were different and it sounded like more of the point and click style of gameplay. Can you drop in/out co-op into the main campaign if you start it in single-player? Is there PVP and how is it integrated?

3. I loved Oblivion, but ended up burned out to the point where Skyrim and the Fallouts wore thin on me pretty quickly. Souls games on the other hand, it seems I can play them endlessly. The Diablo's don't grab me largely because of the control scheme. This is a big game, did it keep you engaged long term or was it a push to finish in the end because of starting to feel repetitive?

4. Is the next gen difference very significant? I guess I'll be picking up a PS4 eventually for Bloodborne and to delay my PC upgrade, but if it's just a bit better looking then I'll stick with PS3 and continue to put off a new system.

Thanks for the input, I know the answers are out there but I'm bored of reading through standard review crap to pick out the pieces that matter to me.

1. Combat doesn't sound like what you are looking for, instead of mashing on a button like in DA2 to continue to attack, you just hold the trigger and then manage cool downs with your abilities. I enjoyed it for the most part but it doesn't sound like it is what you are looking for.
2. Unless I missed something, there is no co-op as far as I know, just multiplayer which I haven't played but seems to be similar to the ME3 multiplayer in the set up and selecting a type of soldier, not bringing in your Shep/Inquisitor.
3. I put in 80 hours and did 98-99% of everything in the game. A lot of it is mmo/fetch types quests which I was fine with, I ended up putting in headphones and listening to podcasts and music while cleaning out the quest log. By around 65ish hours I was wornout of the side content, but since I had already done the majority of it I just finished collecting everything.
4. I don't know about the previous gen versions, I've seen nothing of it. I personally think the world is beautiful but under a microscope (i.e. conversation with npcs) it can be a little rough character wise. I think it is a very good looking game but I don't think it is worth "buying a new console" or "upgrading a PC" type of game. My guess is the PS4/PC versions are faster at loading, look crisper and have fewer frame rate drops, if that doesn't bother you then just stick with the PS3 version.

Verdict: Based on not knowing you at all and your one post, I say skip it and wait until either your PS4 purchase or PC upgrade as the game with be cheaper by then. Combat was your first question so I am assuming that is the most important thing to you and it doesn't sound like it will appease you all that well.

@nightriff Thanks for taking the time to answer. Yeah, combat was the most important thing, that disconnect just prevents me from getting into the game and makes me feel like I'm pushing buttons to advance the story rather than playing the game. Too bad because some of the game-play videos make it look pretty direct. Maybe I'll take a look again when I get around to upgrading.

That thing you mentioned about just putting headphones on made me laugh, since that's pretty much exactly how I handle grind too.

@killer2m8o: And I'm the opposite, I love stories and plots and will play through mediocre gameplay if those other two are worth it. Is the combat bad? No but it isn't that involved and with the tactical view being useless it makes it harder to put more of an effort in to get really good at it. I was also over leveled because I did everything in a area before moving on so the combat was even easier except for the dragons really, which took a lot more managing.

And yeah, I wouldn't have thought DA:I would've been a good podcast game but it absolutely was. I like to listen to all the GotY podcasts from previous years and I listened to all of them while doing side content in DA:I. It was a better podcast game than Hearthstone which surprised me.

@killer2m8o: The gameplay can feel relatively direct depending on the class you're using/how you build the character; it's not straight up Diablo but a lot of the abilities echo Diablo skill counterparts (fire wall being the most obvious); though I gather it's less interesting if you're playing a ranged class. Certain classes in multiplayer very rarely use cooldowns and can still dish out plenty of damage. In singleplayer you'll mainly want to use the pause feature to start out combat and issue initial commands, after that it feels reasonably action-y and the party AI isn't totally incompetent.

@killer2m8o: No, to me it sounds like the combat will be your thing. All you do is control the character, walk up to a guy and hold right trigger and he'll attack, and as you do so, press the four buttons to use the cooldown moves (and sometimes left trigger I believe to activate the other four moves). I mean, it's not great combat (it's fun enough though), but it's more akin to what you want than what you don't. The current-gen version, the PS4 version looks great; I'd say one of the best looking current-gen titles when it comes to taking in environments. I'm not sure how it compares to last-gen, though I'd definitely go current. Check the face off on Eurogamer. As for multiplayer, I don't know, it's not something I care to play honestly.

The game kept me for the 110 hours or so that I played of it, so yeah. I simultaneously felt like I wanted to move on in terms of story, but I also wanted to keep exploring. As for combat, again, you're active, it's not sit, click and watch, unless you go into tactical mode, which you won't need to do. I did it once for a dragon battle, and it helped, but that was it, otherwise it's a waste of time. I think that's what you want. It's more like Dragon Age 2 than it is Origins. Skyrim and other games like it bore me where this didn't. I wouldn't call this a big game though actually, it's just initially big as you explore it and do all the side stuff. The story itself is pretty short. I did all the side content, which is why it lasted 100 or so hours, otherwise you could probably do 50, though I recommend doing it all.

The fetch quest stuff isn't that great, but it gives you incentive to explore new areas. I'm not exactly sure how the combat works for Diablo 3 on PC, but if I'm correct, that's point and click, which I take it you don't like, as compared to the console versions where you have direct control, which is more like Dragon Age: Inquisition.

I'll second the suggestion to avoid for now. I didn't think the combat was "bad" at first, at worst I found it simplistic and not all that engaging, but you do a lot of it if you spend any amount of time playing the game. By the end I was totally bored of it, just slogging through encounters to get to the next part in the story/side quest.

just ignore tactical mode, combat is exactly like diablo

Uh the people saying you won't like the combat either didn't read your post or completely misconstrued it. You will like the combat just fine. It works perfectly well in real time, even on the hardest setting (which is what I beat the game on) you don't need to pause super often just once in awhile. The AI lacks customization but actually for the most part does what it needs to and isn't too stupid. The game also has tons of synergy, such as waiting for Solas to freeze someone, then you do your smash for bonus damage, then as they get up you stun them, and your rogue can exploit that for bonus damage on a combo, etc etc. It is very actiony and it is very quick. Up the challenge setting a little and play a melee character I bet you will like it fine.

Multiplayer is pretty weak. Not because of the gameplay itself, it is just too repetitive and has too much of the microtransaction stuff.

It won't feel repetitive at first. Just make sure that if you start getting the bored feeling you leave and go to a different area. If you play this game to absolute completion it can be a slog... of course it also takes 100+ hours to do that and you can easily hit 20+ at 80 hours or so which is plenty high enough level to beat the game. Just don't go in with the "I will stay here until this area is done" mindset, leave if it gets boring or the enemies get too tough.

Yes you want to play it on PS4 or PC. It is definitely worth it because the game does look very nice.

I think this is the wrong game to pick up if your looking for good combat.