Big News: This list is available in German courtesy of Lena Eierhoff and Thomas Voß, French courtesy of Jamic, Russian courtesy of Glarion, and now in Spanish courtesy of Ana Pescador, Naxo Fdez, and Daniel Sànchez. Thanks, Glarion! Thanks, Jamic! Thanks, Lena! Thanks, Ana! Thanks, Naxo! Thanks, Daniel! Thanks, Thomas! Knowing how to say "No! My beloved peasant village!" and be understood almost anywhere from Normandy to Vladivostok is worth it all by itself.

There are few people who love a good console RPG more than I. Games like Final Fantasy, Grandia, and Skies of Arcadia set a standard of majesty and wonder and immersion that American game designers are challenged to match. And yet, as I play the latest masterpiece to come out of Japan I sometimes can't help the feeling that, somehow, I've seen it all before... WARNING! There are spoilers in here for many popular CRPGs. I mean, duh.

Note that the list is closed to new entries -- this is as cliché-ridden as it's going to get. But other than that, if you have something to say about the list, this is the address to write to.