While Dragon Age: Origins is widely acknowledged as one of the best RPGs of the last years, this expansion doesn't have such a good reputation. I believe that Awakening, while not as great as Origins, is a fine way to get "more of the same".
The bugs plaguing the game on its release have been mostly solved with Patch 1.04, so don't forget to download it from the official site. With the patch I stumbled into maybe two-three minor, non game-breaking bugs throughout my whole playthrough.
In Awakening the player faces a new threat as the Commander of a Grey Warden keep. You can either create a new character or import your old one from Origins, in which case the consequences of a couple of choices will carry over and you'll keep the money (and most of your gear), making the expansion far easier. A couple of old friends have cameos; crude Dwarf Oghren is the only veteran with a major role here.
New party members are OK, although some are a bit nondescript and, in general, not as vivid as those of Origins; let's say they range from good to decent. The lack of BioWare's trademark romances and of the opportunity to talk to party members at any moment are also a disappointment.
On the plus side, the story is interesting and there are some difficult choices and compelling quests, some tied to your management of the keep, like the strongholds in Baldur's Gate 2.
As for the length, I'm neither a fast player nor a completist and I finished Awakening in about 15 hours; I guess this expansion takes about 25% of the time you needed to complete Origins. It's fairly easy overall, so those who love challenge should probably choose the "nightmare" difficulty.
7,5/10
The bugs plaguing the game on its release have been mostly solved with Patch 1.04, so don't forget to download it from the official site. With the patch I stumbled into maybe two-three minor, non game-breaking bugs throughout my whole playthrough.
In Awakening the player faces a new threat as the Commander of a Grey Warden keep. You can either create a new character or import your old one from Origins, in which case the consequences of a couple of choices will carry over and you'll keep the money (and most of your gear), making the expansion far easier. A couple of old friends have cameos; crude Dwarf Oghren is the only veteran with a major role here.
New party members are OK, although some are a bit nondescript and, in general, not as vivid as those of Origins; let's say they range from good to decent. The lack of BioWare's trademark romances and of the opportunity to talk to party members at any moment are also a disappointment.
On the plus side, the story is interesting and there are some difficult choices and compelling quests, some tied to your management of the keep, like the strongholds in Baldur's Gate 2.
As for the length, I'm neither a fast player nor a completist and I finished Awakening in about 15 hours; I guess this expansion takes about 25% of the time you needed to complete Origins. It's fairly easy overall, so those who love challenge should probably choose the "nightmare" difficulty.
7,5/10
