With the year coming to an end, it’s time to look back and review the best video games from the past 351 days.

It was hard to decide with all the great games out there, but here is my own top ten list of the best of 2013:

1. Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) $59.99 Rated: M

It was the fifteenth title in the Grand Theft Auto series and the first new release in five years since Grand Theft Auto IV was released in 2008. Set in the fictional city of Los Santos, players can roam though the city in third-person perspective.  GTA V has everything you’ve come to expect from the series.

This has to be number one if for no other reason than all the hype that was built up around its release. It was a huge success, breaking industry sales records by earning $800 million in the first 24 hours of its release. It became the fastest-selling entertainment product in history.

2. The Last of Us $59.99 Rated: M

The Last of Us comes in second on the list mostly because it was the second-largest video game launch of 2013.

The player starts as Joel, who is journeying across a post-apocalyptic United States in 2033, and who must escort young Ellie to a resistance group. Personally, I prefer Xbox 360 games, but this one, made exclusively for the PlayStation 3, made me really want to buy a PS3 just to try it out. (I didn’t, but I was tempted.)

3. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag $49.99 Rated: M

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is a historical action-adventure video game that was released as the sixth major installment in the Assassin’s Creed series.

The game is filled with missions similar to those found in the other ones, and Black Flag, like all its other previous titles, received lots of positive reviews on its vibrant world, naval combat, and progression system that make it a fantastic sequel. It also won the PS4 and Xbox One Game of the Year award from GameStop.

4. BioShock: Infinite $39.99 Rated: M

BioShock: Infinite was the third installment in the series, but featured similar gameplay concepts and themes from the previous BioShock games.

The game takes place in 1912, and the player gets control of Booker throughout the game alongside the AI controller Elizabeth. Infinite tells a tight story that is engaging from beginning to end.

This game was the top-selling console game in the month of its U.S. release.

5. Battlefield 4 $39.99 Rated: M

Battlefield 4 is a first-person shooter and a sequel to 2011’s Battlefield 3. The campaign takes place in 2020 with tensions between Russia and the United States rising and China on the brink of a war.

This game became probably the most popular first-person shooter in gaming, and the timing of its release put it head-to-head with Call of Duty: Ghosts (see my #7 below). Battlefield came out on top of Call of Duty this time for its outstanding graphics and superior features.

6. Saints Row IV $29.99 Rated: M

In Saints Row IV, as in previous titles in the series, the player controls the leader of the Third Street Saints, a street gang. This time the leader has become the president of the United States.

There was a lot of controversy surrounding the sexual violence in the game, especially in Australia. And, I would agree, but what do you expect from a game that revolves around gangs? This is definitely adults only.

It’s still a great game in the GTA genre.

7. Call of Duty: Ghosts $44.99 Rated: M

Call of Duty: Ghosts was the tenth, yes, I said tenth, installment in the Call of Duty series and the sixth developed by Infinity Ward. The game is a first-person shooter with a lot of new features, like squads and extinction.

You might be surprised that this game made it into my top ten list given the generally felt letdown after all the hype surrounding it, but I think it’s still a great game with the new extinction game mode. Although it was probably one of the worst Call of Duty games, it still racked up a lot of sales and hyped up a lot of gamers.

8. Pokémon X and Y $39.99 each Rated: E

Pokémon X and Pokémon Y are part of one of the most popular series of all time in the world of video games. Pokémon has been around since the original GameBoy. They are two separate games but are associated with each other.

The two games are similar to previous installments in that it follows the journey of a young Pokémon trainer. The two games brought many new Pokémon and Mega Evolutions.

It was the first installment since Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. It was also made for the Nintendo 3DS, bringing the experience in an all-new 3D adventure.

9. Dead Space 3 $29.99 Rated: M

Dead Space 3 is a third-person shooter game and the third installment in the Dead Space series. Could this be the end of the Necromorph threat?

In development for two years, GameInformer has said that, “Dead Space 3 evolves the winning formula into a title not only befitting of the fantastic series, but also one of the best games of this generation.”

10. Tomb Raider $19.99 Rated: M

What better way to end the year of reruns with a genuine old school title?

Tomb Raider is, as we should all know, an action-adventure video game and is the fifth installment in the Tomb Raider franchise, which has been around since 1996.

But this is no sequel. Crystal Dynamics, the game developer, revamped the original Tomb Raider. This game reboot reconstructs the origins of the lead character, Lara Croft. It’s basically the original game, but better.

An updated version, Tomb Raider: The Definitive Edition, will be released in January 2014 for the PS4 and Xbox One.

The year was filled with many great games that, I’m sure, took a toll on many teen members of the gaming community, who had to split their time between school and their first love: gaming!

Of course, there were other amazing games that were released this year, and I’m sure quite a lot of you might not agree with my list. However, you can’t deny that most of these games weren’t at the top of all the hype in the world of video games for nothing.

All prices taken from www.GameStop.com.