1. Memorable, likable characters - each character in this game has so many layers and sub-layers that you can't avoid genuinely caring for them beyond the standard video game parameters. I find myself taking characters with me on quests not because of their strengths, but because I like their personality. This is rare in any kind of game and the last time I felt like this while playing was in Mass Effect 2 (oh hey, another Bioware game).

2. Massive world with tons of content - games nowadays tend to last under 20 hours. This game is just an unbelievably huge world with thousands of quests that are very imaginative and fun to play. I think that the way I'm going, I'll take 200 hours or something before I finish.

3. Compelling storyline and limitless replay value - sure, it's the typical raise an army to fight the bad guy who wants to end the world. But the game presents that classic formula in such a fun way that you can't help wanting to go through it again and again - especially because of the Dragon Age Keep, which allows you to customize the world state. I think that that addition is probably the best thing they came up with - the fact that every playthrough will be different and customizable is absolutely amazing. This is the first game I've played in a long time wherein I can't wait to finish the game just so I can start all over again.

4. Gorgeous graphics and amazing voice acting - lots of love went into the creation of the world and the characters and it shows in the uniqueness of each area. The storm coast is just wet, and you can feel how wet and slushy everything is. The western approach is just so barren, and you can really get that vibe as you walk along the desert. The voices in the game must be enough to cover the voice acting of 10 other games - there's just so many things said in the game and so much effort to convey emotions.

5. Your choices are difficult and they really matter - Everything you do matters in the story. If you choose to side with one faction over another, your entire playthrough is different from the next. The best thing, however, is that your choices are so genuinely difficult. There are no clear cut obvious "better" choices throughout the game. They're presented in such a way that no matter what, you're going to lose out on something. This makes the plot points of the game really intense and important that you can't just scroll through the dialog even on the most seemingly mundane conversations.

6. Fluid battles and varied gameplay - The game's classes and specializations really make you want to try out many different kinds of styles - and in classic Dragon Age fashion, you can switch between characters during battles, giving you all the experiences you can get from each class. The battles are very fluid and intense, with so much variety in strategy that you never get this feeling that you're stuck with a particular character because of his/her skillset. Any (and I'm not kidding) kind of party set up can work. Best of all, the game is actually very challenging if you don't set up your guys properly beforehand; and even then, the game can kick your ass even with 100% preparation (I'm playing on Hard difficulty).

Oh and the freaking dragons really do kick your ass in every way, shape or form.

Probably my only gripe is that there are some bugs in the game that are kind of annoying sometimes - when the game crashes out of nowhere, it makes me want to tear my hair out. But that's just a testament to how good the game is.

This game gets a 9.7 for me. Game of the year, no question at all. 

The world in it is absolutely stunning. When I first started I was really disappointed because I thought there were only 2 locations... Boy was I wrong lol.

I love this game.

PS: the dragon on dragon island can go f**k itself though.

Completely agree with everything in OP, even the score

Easily the best dragon age, I am freaking loving this game!

I completely agree. Nearing 80h of gameplay (my first playthrough only), and I still have a lot to do, incuding the main story. I got all achievements for Origins, all non-DLC achievements for Dragon Age 2, and in my opinion this game surpasses it's predecessors by a noticeable margin.

It certainly deserves to be GotY!

And talking about bugs, the only annoying one I encountered was when loading a save game it is possible that everything except the screen/visual feedback have been loaded, leaving you vulnerable for a few seconds (which is a lot on Nightmare Mode).

Couldn't agree more. I'm amazed at this game, it's everything that DA2 should have been. Just from what I've played, DA2 would fit in the first 'chapter' alone. :P

Characters are well thought out and acted, I'm still trying to understand them all really and understand how conversations work. The wheel is not so clear cut as DA2 which was basically Happy, Sad, Funny and "I want to sleep with you."

There are so many things to do as well, I'm 28 hours in and no idea of the end in sight. I'm getting a little obsessed too, having to take a couple of days off me thinks before I get oddly sucked in. I mean there are like 30 or so mounts and I've only found like 6 of them and those were bought from the shop.

My only issues, is the bugs you mention (cutscene bugs where the next line doesn't load), MP is just tagged on in every possible sense (they say they wanted it to be so you can play DA with your friends but playing with your friends would have been them going into the game and taking control over one of your party, not the MP which just doesn't feel the same). And Haste has been reduced to a weird special ability, I relied on that skill in previous games, don't like it being as special in this, I hardly use it and infact mostly forget to.

Otherwise, near perfect for me, well worth waiting for. 9.5/10

EDIT: I'll add that even though I haven't even finished this, or even gone though it much, I hope we see another entry into the series quicker than we did from DA2 to this one, they have a lot of resources and I'd love to see it become more of a regular game series (every 2 years maybe). I love the world setting.

It's damn near perfect. Still Dark Souls 2 deserves this award more.

I would give it a 9/10, my GOTY by far, but even though its story, world and characters are memorable, Dragon Age: Origins is still my favourite in the series.

Anyways, DA:I had a good first week in sales, I hope it'll keep going that way !

Agreed. I also wanted to make a similar thread. Loving it. Only played 11 hours. But I have to admit Bioware has redeemed themselves.

I'm loving every part of it, excellent game, as expected from Bioware.

Still, Bayonetta 2 exists, so unfortunately for Inquisition it simply can't be my favorite game of the year.