As gamers, we've been blessed with some phenomenal titles over the past 10 years. Some have pushed the boundaries of what many of us thought was possible while others have breathed new life into old mechanics and concepts. As the standard continues to rise, the thought of what might come next is a truly tantalizing one.

RELATED: 10 Crazy Stories Behind Grand Theft Auto V's Development

Of the many standout games of the decade, however, one shines just a little brighter than the rest. Grand Theft Auto V first released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 back in 2013 and is the largest and best-selling title in the series to date. It could be argued though, that it's not just the best title in the GTA series, but also the greatest game of its generation. Of course, there's some stiff competition in that category.

10 GTA V Is The Best Because Of Its Longevity

That GTA V continues to sell well despite having released more than seven years ago is truly remarkable. It's now featured on three different console generations and was amongst the best selling games for both the PS3 and PS4. With more than 135 million total sales, it is the best selling console games of all time.

One of the reasons that the game remains so popular is the constant updates to its online mode. GTA Online might not offer the same experience as the single-player campaign, but its many heists and frequent events have proven to be incredibly popular with the player base. It also helps that the game still looks fantastic even in spite of its age.

9 Minecraft Is Better

Minecraft two villagers

135 million sales sure is impressive, but the game still has some work to do if it hopes to catch up with Minecraft. Mojang's block-buster has sold more than 200 million units since its first release and, like GTA V, remains incredibly popular today. This feat is perhaps made more impressive when considering that Minecraft actually released two years earlier.

The world and lore of Minecraft is constantly being updated and added to and, as such, the game still feels as fresh as ever. Visuals were never its strong point, but the implementation of VR gameplay has also helped to prolong the game's life - as too have the army of streamers and YouTubers who continue to produce regular Minecraft content.

8 GTA V Is The Best Because Of Its Storytelling

One of the principal complaints about some of the earlier 3D Grand Theft Auto games was that their stories could sometimes feel a little incoherent. That's certainly not something that GTA V could ever be accused of though. Right from the get-go, the game sinks its claws deep into players and this feeling of enthrallment only intensifies as the narrative unfolds.

RELATED: Top 10 Best Story Missions In Grand Theft Auto V

It's perhaps not the Schindler's List of video games, but, considering the game's core mechanics and its general tone, that was never likely to be the case. The narrative has instead been shaped around these mechanics and, as such, is able to complement them perfectly without ever feeling forced or trite.

7 The Last Of Us Is Better

When it comes to narrative-driven video games, few can compete with Naughty Dog's The Last of Us. It features a beautifully crafted story which is able to evoke a wide range of emotions from players without ever feeling heavy-handed or too on the nose. It's a wild ride from start to finish and doesn't disappoint when its climax eventually rolls around.

As with GTA V, The Last of Us received a PS4 rerelease and will no doubt pop up again on the PlayStation 5 in the not too distant future. The game still looks great too and is unlikely to be forgotten anytime soon. The sequel may have divided the fanbase a little, but there are few among them who didn't enjoy Ellie and Joel's debut outing.

6 GTA V Is The Best Because Of Its Characters

gta v michael, franklin and trevor

GTA IV toyed with the idea of having multiple protagonists although did so through its DLC expansions. Unlike its predecessor, however, GTA 5 incorporates all three characters into its main story campaign and allows players to switch between them freely whenever they choose. Well. Almost.

Trevor, Michael and Franklin are all fascinating and memorable characters and compliment each other perfectly. Each brings something different to the table and demonstrates obvious personal growth as events unfold around them. The game also has plenty of great secondary characters, some of whom are just as memorable as the central trio.

5 Uncharted 4 Is Better

Nathan Drake is one of the greatest video game protagonists ever created. Over the course of the four Uncharted games, he has ascended to a level of badassery that far surpasses the majority of his peers. What's more, players have seen his character develop at a steady pace over the years and that growth continues into and throughout his final outing.

RELATED: 10 PS4 Games With The Best Art Direction

Unless Naughty Dog has a change of heart, it does seem likely that Uncharted 4 will indeed be Nathan's last adventure and to many that's a real shame. That said, the game provides the perfect conclusion to his arc and leaves the stage free for a new hero to take his place. Chloe really struggled to fill his shoes in The Lost Legacy, but that's not to say that she couldn't grow into them in future Uncharted games.

4 GTA V Is The Best Because Of Its World

grand theft auto griffith observatory blimp cutscene

Heavily inspired by Los Angeles, the fictional city of Los Santos is the perfect playground in which players can cause chaos. Every inch of the city is lovingly crafted with each area typically having its own unique look and feel to it. It's also incredibly large and, unlike many other open world games with huge maps, it generally keeps barren space to a minimum.

It could certainly be argued that the decision to base Los Santos on a real-world city was a bit of a short cut, but it also presents its own set of unique challenges. While creating a world from scratch requires imagination, recreating an area necessitates a level of detail that few developers have the time or skill to accomplish. What Rockstar achieved with Los Santos is incredible and worthy of all of the praise and success the game has garnered over the years.

3 The Witcher 3 Is Better

open-world

While GTA V strives for realism in its world, The Witcher 3 instead dives deep into the realms of fantasy. Everything about its world is enchanting and feels far more alive as a result of its many whimsical elements. Having numerous books from which to build on certainly helped CDPR in their endeavors, but that should take nothing away from the fantastic work that they did designing Skellige and the game's other playable areas.

What's more, the inhabitants of the game's world are just as magical and contribute an awful lot to the player's immersion. It's a fantastic place to explore and one that never gets old due to how many secrets are hidden throughout it. Of course, this is just one of many things that makes The Witcher 3 such a wonderful game, but it's perhaps the standout.

2 GTA V Is The Best Because Of Its Influence

The Grand Theft Auto series has always been hugely influential, as evidenced by the countless GTA clones that have been released over the years. GTA V takes the series to new heights though, with interchangeable protagonists, a larger world, more vehicles than ever and a plethora of other additions and enhancements. Put simply, it has redefined the open-world sandbox genre.

It certainly helps that the game had a budget of $265 million, but there are plenty of games which had far bigger budgets that have failed to have anywhere near the same impact. Ultimately, the game is something for other developers to aspire to and a good benchmark against which future games' greatness can be measured.

1 Skyrim Is Better

Skyrim Dragonborn Game Art

The Elder Scrolls is right up there with Grand Theft Auto when it comes to the influence that they have had on their respective genres and Skyrim is the series' greatest entry to date. Sure, its storytelling may hold it back a little at times and it has its fair share of bugs and glitches. Aside from that though, it excels in pretty much every department.

Open-world RPGs have become increasingly popular over the last decade and Bethesda's game is undoubtedly one of the driving forces behind the genre's growth. It has helped to raise the bar when it comes to player expectations and in turn has pushed other developers to new heights.

NEXT: 5 Reasons Skyrim Is The Best Game Of The Last Decade (& 5 Games That Deserve It More)