Acclaimed Video Games

The top 1,400 most recommended games across 920 critic lists from 146 publications.

Updated: October 16, 2026

Most Acclaimed Video Games of 2001

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Halo: Combat Evolved

#1 Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) (#26)

Bungie | MAC, WIN, Xbox | First-Person Shooter | ~10h | 75 lists

Silent Hill 2

#2 Silent Hill 2 (2001) (#47)

Team Silent | PS2, Xbox | Horror | ~8h | 63 lists

Grand Theft Auto III

#3 Grand Theft Auto III (2001) (#55)

DMA Design, TransGaming Inc. | WIN, PS2 | Action-Adventure | ~14h | 47 lists

Ico

#4 Ico (2001) (#62)

Team Ico | PS2 | Action-Adventure | ~6h | 54 lists

Super Smash Bros. Melee

#5 Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) (#84)

HAL Laboratory | GC | Fighting | ~10h | 41 lists

Final Fantasy X

#6 Final Fantasy X (2001) (#139)

Square Product Development Division 1 | PS2 | Role-Playing | ~45h | 30 lists

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

#7 Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001) (#143)

Konami Computer Entertainment Japan | WIN, PS2, Xbox | Action-Adventure / Stealth | ~13h | 27 lists

Advance Wars

#8 Advance Wars (2001) (#147)

Intelligent Systems | GBA | Turn-Based Strategy | ~16h | 32 lists

Rez / Rez HD / Rez Infinite

#9 Rez / Rez HD / Rez Infinite (2001) (#156)

United Game Artists | DC, PS2 | Shooter / Music | ~2h | 27 lists

Max Payne

#10 Max Payne (2001) (#202)

Remedy Entertainment | MAC, WIN, PS2, Xbox | Third-Person Shooter | ~8h | 23 lists

Ikaruga

#11 Ikaruga (2001) (#207)

Treasure | ARC, DC, GC | Shooter | ~2h | 18 lists

Animal Crossing

#12 Animal Crossing (2001) (#275)

Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development | N64, GC | Life Simulation | ~66h | 17 lists

Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec

#13 Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (2001) (#294)

Polyphony Digital | PS2 | Racing | ~40h | 18 lists

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

#14 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (2001) (#316)

Neversoft Entertainment | WIN, PS, PS2, GC, Xbox | Sports | ~7h | 20 lists

Devil May Cry

#15 Devil May Cry (2001) (#387)

Capcom Production Studio 4 | PS2 | Hack and Slash / Action-Adventure | ~6h | 13 lists

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

#16 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (2001) (#389)

Capcom | WIN, GBA, DS | Adventure / Visual Novel | ~18h | 12 lists

Super Monkey Ball

#17 Super Monkey Ball (2001) (#426)

Amusement Vision | GC | Party / Platform | ~4h | 11 lists

Conker's Bad Fur Day

#18 Conker's Bad Fur Day (2001) (#505)

Rare | N64 | Action-Adventure / Platform | ~11h | 12 lists

IL-2 Sturmovik

#19 IL-2 Sturmovik (2001) (#529)

Maddox Games | WIN | Flight Simulation | ~14h | 7 lists

Virtua Fighter 4

#20 Virtua Fighter 4 (2001) (#532)

Sega AM2 | ARC, PS2 | Fighting | ~36m | 10 lists

Shenmue II

#21 Shenmue II (2001) (#538)

Sega AM2 | DC, Xbox | Action-Adventure | ~23h | 7 lists

SSX Tricky

#22 SSX Tricky (2001) (#570)

EA Canada | PS2, GC, Xbox | Sports / Snowboarding | ~10h | 8 lists

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

#23 Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (2001) (#625)

Naughty Dog | PS2 | Platform | ~10h | 8 lists

Sid Meier's Civilization III

#24 Sid Meier's Civilization III (2001) (#705)

Firaxis Games, Westlake Interactive | MAC, WIN | Turn-Based Strategy | ~22h | 6 lists

Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis

#25 Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis (2001) (#845)

Bohemia Interactive Studio | WIN | Tactical Shooter | ~24h | 5 lists

Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader

#26 Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (2001) (#893)

Factor 5, LucasArts | GC | Action / Flight Simulation | ~6h | 8 lists

Frequency

#27 Frequency (2001) (#895)

Harmonix Music Systems | PS2 | Music | ~2h | 3 lists

Black & White

#28 Black & White (2001) (#910)

Lionhead Studios | WIN | Simulation / God Game | ~15h | 5 lists

Bejeweled

#29 Bejeweled (2001) (#949)

PopCap Games | WIN | Match-Three | ~1h | 4 lists

Commandos 2: Men of Courage

#30 Commandos 2: Men of Courage (2001) (#992)

Pyro Studios, Zonic Limited | WIN, PS2, Xbox | Real-Time Tactics | ~21h | 4 lists

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

#31 The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (2001) (#1021)

Capcom Production Studio 1 | GBC | Action-Adventure | ~15h | 4 lists

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

#32 The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (2001) (#1022)

Capcom Production Studio 1 | GBC | Action-Adventure | ~16h | 4 lists

Return to Castle Wolfenstein

#33 Return to Castle Wolfenstein (2001) (#1028)

Gray Matter Interactive, Nerve Software, Raster Productions, Splash Damage, Westlake Interactive | 3 | First-Person Shooter | ~8h | 3 lists

Golden Sun

#34 Golden Sun (2001) (#1087)

Camelot Software Planning | GBA | Role-Playing | ~22h | 5 lists

Gitaroo Man

#35 Gitaroo Man (2001) (#1132)

iNiS | PS2 | Music | ~3h | 3 lists

Serious Sam: The First Encounter

#36 Serious Sam: The First Encounter (2001) (#1162)

Croteam | WIN, Xbox | First-Person Shooter | ~6h | 4 lists

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

#37 Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (2001) (#1189)

Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe | GBA | Action RPG / Metroidvania | ~8h | 3 lists

Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura

#38 Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura (2001) (#1209)

Troika Games | WIN | Role-Playing | ~32h | 2 lists

Aliens Versus Predator 2

#39 Aliens Versus Predator 2 (2001) (#1225)

Monolith Productions | MAC, WIN | First-Person Shooter | ~10h | 3 lists

RuneScape / RuneScape 3

#40 RuneScape / RuneScape 3 (2001) (#1276)

Jagex | BR | MMORPG | ~1516h | 3 lists

Pikmin

#41 Pikmin (2001) (#1345)

Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development | GC | Real-Time Strategy / Puzzle | ~8h | 3 lists

Uplink

#42 Uplink (2001) (#1354)

Introversion Software | 3 | Simulation | ~8h | 2 lists

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