Being a fan of the Elder Scrolls series, I was very sceptical of the automatic combat system of Dragon Age.
The game starts out differently, depending on the class or gender you choose. I myself only played through the game once, but it was a very fun experience. Solid stories that are molded by the choices you make. Sound familiar? I find the good vs evil choices to be very similar to that of Fable. In fact I wish Fable 2 was more like this game.
I was severely involved in the story the entire time and captivated by the several plot twists that occurred, many of which are variant depending on your choices. The inventory and leveling were very fine tuned and brilliant.
If I was to choose any downside to this game, it would be that every once and a while your party members get between you and the enemy, making it awkward to move around, but this is rarely the case. If you haven't tried Dragon Age yet than you should. And expect the unexpected.
(A short and sweet summary, no more need be said)