Combat in adventure games is a tricky thing, because if you wanted a fast-paced experience, you'd just buy an action game and not an adventure game. With that said, the combat in Dreamfall isn't a frenetic, button-pushing exercise like it is in a fighting game. The fighting moves at a slower pace, so when you're controlling Zoe you can time your attack or your block. You don't need to worry about combo moves or anything, as your distance to your opponent determines the type of attack. If you're in close, it might be a light jab. But if you get some distance between you and your opponent, it might be a harder attack, like a high kick or a roundhouse kick. We saw Zoe battle her sparring partner as they circled around, kicking and punching at one another. In other sequences, we saw different characters in combat, with one using a sword, while another was using a staff. The basic principles remain the same, though, so you don't have to worry about relearning the combat system for each character.

The puzzle system also looks interesting, as you'll do everything from figuring out how to unravel a medieval traffic jam in a narrow street to cracking security codes when trying to break into a top-secret facility. In another situation, you have to figure out how to distract a museum guard in order to get past him, and that involves some creative thinking, as well as making good use of the other characters around you. There are stealthlike elements in the game as well, such as when you have to dodge security robots in a hallway. Don't worry, though, because if you're having nightmares of Splinter Cell-like difficulty, the stealth-action sequences in Dreamfall won't be anywhere near as difficult, and you'll be given plenty of places to hide when a robot gets too close. All in all, Funcom says that there's at least 12 to 15 hours of gameplay in Dreamfall, and that's assuming you play it as an action game and blitz your way through it. Realistically, adventure game fans will want to take a slower pace and follow a lot of the side quests. Do that, and there's around 35 to 40 hours of gameplay. And you'll be able to replay the game and explore different avenues, as well