The Best of the Rest: 2013's Other Top Titles

GameSpot's Game of the Year series is set to kick off soon. But before we start naming nominees, we've been taking a look back at 2013 to see what games could possibly make our Game of the Year cut. This week, you've seen what we think are some of the best sequels released in 2013. You've read what new games we thought were amazing, and which indie games impressed us in the last 12 months. 2013 has been an outstanding year for video games, so we're rounding out our Road to Game of the Year series with one final look at some of the other top reviewed titles by GameSpot this year, which includes some returning franchise favorites as well as a few new faces. And we'll leave you with the question: will any of the below games be named our Game of the Year?

Legends excels as a single-player experience because traversing the plentiful worlds is eminently enjoyable and engaging.

GameSpot Editor Tom Mc Shea

For a character without elbows or knees, Rayman is extremely agile, an ability he uses to great effect in the multiplatform charmer Rayman Legends. And charm is what this game has in buckets, not to mention some extremely tight platforming goodness backed up by an eclectic and infectious soundtrack. Where else would you find a level whose exact jump and attack beats match up with a mariachi-band version of "Eye of the Tiger"? Nowhere else but in Rayman Legends.

Check out our review of Rayman Legends.

It's far more than just a great racing sim, or a gorgeous showcase for the types of feats the Xbox One hardware is capable of.

GameSpot Editor Shaun McInnis

Apart from outstanding looks, realistic physics, an impressive career mode, and an expansive partnership with the lads from Top Gear, Forza Motorsport 5 made another substantial contribution to the world of video games in 2013: the term "drivatar." If there were an award for best made-up word associated with a video game for 2013, "drivatar" would surely win, just narrowly edging out "revengeance" and "levelution." The latest Forza game was one of the key launch games for the Xbox One and managed to more than live up to the series' impressive pedigree.

Check out our review of Forza Motorsport 5.

Puppeteer is a little quirky, perhaps even a little insane in places, but unashamedly so. And you know what? It works brilliantly.

GameSpot Editor Mark Walton

Puppeteer has some stiff competition when it comes to platform games, coming along in a year when both Rayman and Mario have had wonderful entries in their long-running series. But Puppeteer can stand proudly on its own thanks to its unique Japanese puppet theater setting, tight platforming mechanics, and outstanding boss battles.

Check out our review of Puppeteer.

Injustice: Gods Among Us is a hard-hitting fighter that plays to the hardcore crowd.

GameSpot Editor Maxwell McGee

Injustice: Gods Among Us asks the question many of us have pondered since childhood: who would win in a fight between alternate universe Killer Frost and Black Adam? The answer, of course, is who cares, but thankfully Injustice: Gods Among Us also features a generous list of other top-tier DC characters to do sweet, sweet mayhem with. This fighting game from the kreators of Mortal Kombat takes the best features of that series' recent reboot and applies them to the DC universe, resulting in a tight brawler with its own unique twists.

Check out our review of Injustice: Gods Among Us.

Regardless of platform, Battlefield 4 multiplayer is a blast and definitely the best reason to return to this hallowed franchise or dive in for the first time.

GameSpot Editor Chris Watters

The Battlefield series has long been the benchmark for other multiplayer shooters, and the latest in the series continues in that proud tradition, giving us large-scale 64-player matches on the PC and both of the recently released next-gen consoles. To be sure, Battlefield 4 hasn't had the smoothest of launches, with plenty of chatter about connection issues, instability, and missing downloadable content spoiling an otherwise impressive package. But when it works, Battlefield 4 absolutely shines.

Check out our review of Battlefield 4.

This is a game that's keenly aware of the series' strengths, but doesn't find itself beholden to them. No matter what standard you apply, Call of Duty: Ghosts is a terrific first-person shooter.

GameSpot Editor Shaun McInnis

Think what you will about the behemoth that is Call of Duty, but the one thing that can't be denied is that this long-running shooter series is a consistent crowd-pleaser year in and year out. And this year, there was even a dog in Call of Duty: Ghosts. And who doesn't love dogs? The playable, throat-ripping Riley the dog joins other additions, such as the alien-focused Extinction mode, more customization, and new multiplayer options, making Ghosts another impressive entry in the ever-growing Call of Duty pantheon.

Check out our review of Call of Duty: Ghosts.

It brings a level of authenticity never before seen in the genre and sets new standards for player control and stadium atmosphere.

GameSpot Editor Danny O'Dwyer

Call of Duty isn't the only giant gaming franchise able to consistently pump out great entries despite the grind of a yearly schedule. The FIFA series can seemingly do little wrong, coming up with enough significant improvements to its gameplay and presentation in recent years to make both hardened veterans and newcomers happy. The next-generation versions of FIFA 14 in particular bring a depth of realism like never before, making you feel as if you've stepped into the packed stadium of a real-life game.

Check out our review of FIFA 14.

Falling in love with Resogun is easy, and mastering it is challenging, and the combination of these two qualities makes Resogun almost impossible to put down.

GameSpot Editor Peter Brown

Who would have imagined that a downloadable arcade shooter would be the best exclusive game in the PlayStation 4's launch lineup? Resogun is gorgeous, and is probably the game you want to play in front of your envious, non-PS4-owning friends if you want to be a jerk and show off what next-gen visuals look like. As well as looks, Resogun features enjoyable, frantic gameplay that forces you to think and react quickly.

Check out our review of Resogun.

And that's it for our Road to Game of the Year series. Did we miss any obvious titles? Do you think your favorites will make our nominee shortlists? GameSpot's Game of the Year awards officially kick off on December 9, when we'll unveil all of our nominees in our various awards categories via a special live stream (3 p.m. PST December 9). And then starting December 10, we'll unveil one platform category winner every day, culminating in the big reveal of our Game of the Year on December 19. So join us starting next week to find out which games will be crowned 2013's best. In the meantime, sound off in the comments below and tell us your guesses for which game will be named the GameSpot Game of the Year.