'Grand Theft Auto V' is Great, But These 10 Games Exist Too

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Release date: Aug. 27

Lost Planet 3 is actually one of our favorite games to come out this year. Explore a barren, icy desert full of giant crab monsters and dilapidated research equipment from earlier expeditions to the frozen planet, and alternate between on-foot gunplay and mechanized combat and exploration.

There are some really interesting mechanics, like metal-shattering storms and a dynamic HUD that tethers you to your giant mech like an umbilical cord. The shooting is all old school and arcadey, but the atmosphere is engrossing as hell.

Release date: Oct. 12

It doesn't get any more different from Grand Theft Auto V, than Pokémon, but these games are not just for kids. That's more clear than ever as the series makes its first proper jump into 3D gameplay and graphics.

The latest entries, X and Y, come out this week, and if they're anything like every past game in the main series they'll be impossible to put down. Add a ton of new features and true 3D to that formula and these may be the best Pokémon games yet.

Release date: Aug. 20

Saints Row IV provided a nice aperitif for those waiting for Grand Theft Auto V to come out, but let's not forget about sipping it now and then just because the main course has arrived.

The concept is impossible to resist, after all—take GTA and add superpowers, plus crazy features like the ability to save and summon custom cars at will and guns that make your enemies dance 'til they're dead. Why not go back and actually finish it?

Release date: Aug. 20

With Tom Clancy's recent passing, it's fitting to give Splinter Cell: Blacklist a go, especially if you didn't try it when it released at the end of the summer. It takes many of the presentation aspects that were enjoyable in Splinter Cell: Conviction, then does away with a lot of that game's annoyances.

For example, things don't turn all black-and-white when you're in the shadows anymore. And a new hub location on a mobile, flying base takes the place of menus in a very cool way. Multiplayer is great, too. Blacklist is definitely worth a look.

Release date: Oct. 8

Who doesn't like Ellen Page? And don't forget that Willem Dafoe is in the follow-up to Heavy Rain as well. It's rare to see a game's actors given top billing on its cover art, but with stars like that it's no wonder.

But beyond the star power there's hopefully going to be another narrative-driven game from Quantic Dream. Like Grand Theft Auto V, it strives to be cinematic, but if it's anything like Heavy Rain then it may also strip away many of the conventions we're used to in games. We'll find out how well it works soon enough, since Beyond comes out this week. Either way it will certainly be an experiment worth experiencing.

Release date: Sept. 3

GTA V's cynicism can get us down, but a vibrant and charming game like Rayman Legends usually gets us out of that funk. A few years ago we might not have believed you if you'd told us that the Rayman series would be making such an awesome comeback, but here it is.

If Rayman Origins didn't grab you, Legends probably won't either, but platforming fans will definitely love the fast and tight action. There's co-op, too.

Release date: Sept. 10

The NHL series is tried-and-true at this point, so it's hard for hockey fans to go wrong. And GTA V has no hockey mini games, though it does have tennis, golf, skydiving, and triathlons.

NHL 14 is more of what you love with some notable improvements. The True Performance Skating engine has been overhauled with new improvements and realism, and a new deking system simplifies puck play and makes it easier to pull of advanced and impressive moves.

Release date: Aug. 6

Some may not believe it, but there really is plenty of overlap between fans of Grand Theft Auto and players who love old school Japanese role-playing games. Tales of Xillia should prove perfect for them.

It was release in Japan in 2011, but only got an English version at the end of the summer. It's got the charm and confidence of past Tales games, plus most of the things JRPG players look for in their favorite genre. But it also streamlines other aspects, like navigation and travel, for a tighter experience.

Release date: Sept. 24

Here in American we're going to eventually have to face up to the fact that soccer—football, really—is the sport of the world. We love our American football a lot, but one day we're going to have to let go.

Even if you don't agree, you don't want to miss out on FIFA 14 just because you're busy stealing armored cars and flying jets in Grand Theft Auto V. We'll forgive you if you want to wait for the next-gen version on Xbox One and PS4, though—that new engine looks impressive, after all.

Release date: Aug. 13

Payday 2 is the first Payday game to launch on consoles, and the original was played mostly by PC gamers. So don't feel dumb if you haven't heard of it—though you should feel dumb if you don't play it.

And the bank-robbing first-person shooter complements Grand Theft Auto V, with its many elaborate heists, almost perfectly. Only you don't want ot play Payday 2 solo.

What games are you playing this fall when you're not knee-deep in wreckage in GTA V? Tell us in the comments or on Twitter.