Once scheduled to arrive in fall 2013, BioWare’s long-awaited and hotly hyped open-world role-playing game Dragon Age: Inquisition is now just a week away from release across consoles and PC.

The game’s review embargo, however, has lifted, and critics have weighed in on BioWare’s latest. Below you’ll find a sampling of review scores and editor opinions about the game.

For more on the game’s critical reception, be sure to read GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Game: Dragon Age: Inquisition
• Developer: BioWare
• Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC
• Release Date: November 18
• Price: $60

GameSpot — 9/10

“It offers the thrill of discovery and the passion of camaraderie. It features a glee club called The Sing-Quisition, and a dwarf with writer’s block. It establishes connections with its world in big ways and small, with the sight of a titanous temple and the smirk of an Orlesian commander in love. Dragon Age: Inquisition is a wonderful game and a lengthy pilgrimage to a magical world with vital thematic ties to one we already know.” – Kevin VanOrd [Full review]

Joystiq — 5/5

“Dragon Age: Inquisition is BioWare’s reaffirmation of what it’s capable of delivering. It’s a gorgeous game on an epic scale. Rich in character and story, it creates a fantasy world with plausible social rules you can get lost in. It makes you feel that you aren’t just exploring a new world, but helping shape it at various levels of society. Inquisition sets the bar for what a blockbuster RPG should be. Oh, and after everything is said and done, make sure to stay following the credits.” – Alexander Sliwinski [Full review]

Game Informer — 9.5/10

“After two disparate entries with different philosophies, Dragon Age’s identity crisis is over. With a mixture of open-world exploration, entertaining combat, and top-tier characters, the team at BioWare has found a winning formula that isn’t shackled to either Dragon Age: Origins or Dragon Age II. Inquisition is not defined by the traditions it returns to, but by the new directions it forges for this magnificent fantasy universe.” – Joe Juba [Full review]

Polygon — 9.5/10

“Dragon Age: Inquisition is one of the biggest games I’ve ever played, and I still want more. This is the astounding scope I referred to above. It’s no longer as simple as how your choices affect your small band of adventurers–though that can vary quite a lot as well. Dragon Age: Inquisition puts the fate of the world in your hands in a way that few role-playing games have done before. And even after another 80 hours devoted to it, it’s a world I cannot wait to return to in whatever BioWare does next. I don’t know what higher praise I could give.” – Philip Kollar [Full review]

IGN — 88/100

“When I’d finally slain my first dragon in Dragon Age: Inquisition, I felt a little sad at the thought that I was probably beginning to exhaust its seemingly endless stream of content. But then I saw the quest ticker: ‘Dragons Slayed – 1 out of 10.’ In all my hours, I had only ever seen three. It’s a surprisingly huge, dense world, and I soon realized there were still entire sandboxes I hadn’t even set foot in. Even in my hundredth hour, I’m still discovering. Despite its less than compelling plot, I still want to go back to explore and fight through every nook and cranny of Dragon Age: Inquisition, until every dragon’s skull is mounted on my wall.” – Vince Ingenito [Full review]

GamesRadar — 4/5

“Dragon Age: Inquisition creates a massive, vibrant world on a scale far greater than its predecessors, and does an excellent job of making you feel in command. The heart of this game rests with its characters, who keep you invested in the action.” – Maxwell McGee [Full review]

DigitalSpy — 4/5

“BioWare has clearly listened to, and learned from, the criticisms leveled at Dragon Age II. It has also cherry picked some of the best elements of its Mass Effect series00most notably the more exhaustive dialogue options–to create a role-playing game of sweeping scale and often surprising impact.” – John Robertson [Full review]

Destructoid — 8.5/10

“Dragon Age: Inquisition not only feels like a fully fledged role-playing adventure, but it’s also packed with fun things to do that will keep you busy for weeks. Having played well over 100 hours, I’m still finding things to do, working on my multiplayer characters, and plotting another playthrough to handle things a bit differently. Inquisition is a triumph and proves that despite some missteps along the way, BioWare hasn’t lost its touch.” – Chris Carter [Full review]

GamesBeat — 87/100

“What BioWare has done better than most in the past is just as smooth and well-tended here. Characters are well-realized beings of desires and complications. The world of Thedas is an inviting glimpse into complicated fantasy, now with that new-generation gleam and polish. Add to that the Inquisition, a central narrative mechanic that will turn the speediest of speed-runners into an obsessive-compulsive herb picker, and the game is a worthy addition to a spectacular Western RPG franchise, only barely surpassed by Dragon Age: Origins.” – Gavin Greene [Full review]

A selection of additional Inquisition review scores:

• VideoGamer — 8/10
• Shacknews — 9/10
• Cheat Code Central — 3.8/5
• Gaming Nexus — 9/10

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