Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows Pre-E3 Preview

IGN PC has released a preview of Midway's Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows, after spending some firsthand time with the action RPG at a pre-E3 press event. An excerpt to follow:
To maintain the RPG integrity without slowing down all this action, inventory and character management is all being handled in real-time. On consoles, the d-pads will be used to cycle through types of inventory and equip or unequip items, but we figure the PC version will make better use of the keyboard and mouse.

Because the game so heavily emphasizes cooperative play, the role-playing elements never actually stop gameplay. Even something as simple as acquiring additional health has been designed with seamless cooperative gaming in mind. Instead of running over packs and accidentally stealing goods, you have to hold down an absorb button, which draws in nearby energy to your character.