For the first time in the series, the upcoming Dragon Age: Inquisition will have a multiplayer mode. This will take the form of a four-player co-operative dungeon crawl, which the developer has said will be 'action-packed' in its latest blog entry. It will be entirely separate from the single-player game, so those worried about the real-world impinging on their epic fantasy quests need not worry.

Despite being separate, we can see how multiplayer all fits in rather well with the direction that Inquisition has taken. The single-player game can be played largely as a third-person action title, with you controlling a single character, supported by AI party members – although you retain the option to pause the action and enter a tactical mode for full party control. The multiplayer mode will skip that second part, instead using four human players all playing in third-person and having to work together to overcome their enemies.

As you're not using your single-player character, instead there will be 12 basic characters provided, four each from the three classes (warrior, rogue and mage). These will differ significantly from each other, with warrior classes including both tanks and damage dealers for example. You can level up your character as far as level 20, as well as customise it with loot found in game.

You will be awarded loot and money for completing missions, plus you'll be able to craft new items for yourself too. You can even unlock new characters by crafting their armour. However, all of this has been streamlined so that the main emphasis is on gameplay and getting onto the next game. With this is in mind there will also be an app, so you easily switch gear while in-game using a smartphone or tablet.

One worrying aspect is the existence of an in-game currency, Platinum, which can be bought for real money if you wish. BioWare says that all the content will be accessible without spending any cash, though we'll have to see how much of a grind unlocking the best characters and items is without getting your wallet out.

We're really looking forward to playing the mode, and are particularly happy about its separation from single player. We'll bring you more details as we get closer to release, but to see the latest trailers head over to our Dragon Age: Inqusition Gamescom coverage .