The game is great fun, like origins, but when you look at the price, it leaves you feeling ripped off.
Good:
If you enjoyed origins, you'll feel at home in this game.
Expanded on the the specifications (2 new specs per class)
The specifications will feel at home with anyone who enjoyed the ones from origins.
Keep customizations that will take effect later in the game which adds a interesting element.(Extremely similar to ship upgrades in Mass Effect 2 for whoever has played it)
New map (still Ferelden, but a zoomed in area north of Denerim)
A new row ( 4 new ) of skills for Warrior/Rogue Talents + a new row to every weapon style. (Sword+Shield, Archery, Dual-wield, two-hand) 3 new rows for mage skills (no new elemental skills though)
Leadership abilities (settling courts, putting people through joinings, conscripting people, etc)
Some new darkspawn.
The Warden is much more powerful.
Bad:
EXTREMELY short main-quest. I highly advise doing the side quests or you'll be done with this game in a couple days. (even for a casual gamer)
The biggest disappointment by far, to me, is the character relationships and back stories that made Origins great are not in Awakening. While you can get to know your companions, you can't get to know them anywhere near as well, and they are easily forgettable.
Anders is an Allister ripoff.
Some plot holes. (Such as Dwarves being able to become Spirit Warriors. (Warriors who use the fade)
Final Thoughts:
Awakening is in no way, shape, or form, bad. I enjoyed it and I would recommend it to someone. Except, I'd recommend they buy it when the prices drop. As, even though this is much more than the DLC they've offered before, it feels more like a big DLC than an expansion pack. Awakening simply doesn't contain all that much. Considering the lack of companion involvement, the terribly short story, and the fact that you can only create one background for a new character, $40 is a lot of money for this expansion. If you're a die hard Origins fan, go ahead, get it, but just keep in mind that in my opinion this is worth more about $20-25 rather than the cost of a full game.