I think "combat focused" is not a great way to describe it. It is not Darkspawn Chronicles. It is more in-line with what you would play in DA:O or Awakening, with voiced party member conversations, story, etc. The comment about your companion having a text line is the same ambient dialog system you've seen in DA:O/DA:O-A with all subtitles on (e.g. party banter), but i'm guessing the VO was too low to hear at the show.
But it is purposefully hard - we even added an achievement for beating it on Nightmare - and it is set on a new dwarven thaig. I suspect that's where some of the "combat focused" comments may be coming from.