Best Games of 2001

The best games released in 2001, ranked by Belly Score. The Belly's definitive 2001 game rankings.

The Belly's definitive rankings for games released in 2001. Every title from 2001 that earned a Belly Score appears here, sorted from the highest verdict down. It's a year-by-year snapshot of what The Belly thought of the releases — the standout hits, the disappointments, and everything in between from 2001.

9.8

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Action-Adventure · Shooter

PlayStation 2 · Xbox · Microsoft Windows · PlayStation 3 · Xbox 360 · PlayStation Vita · Nvidia Shield

Espionage / SpyPsychologicalSurreal+1

MysteriousImmersiveTense+3

9.7

Final Fantasy X

RPG

PlayStation 2 · PlayStation 3 · PlayStation 4 · PS Vita · PC · Nintendo Switch

High FantasyMythologyNature / Wilderness+1

EpicEmotionalMelancholic+3

9.7

Ikaruga

Shooter · Puzzle

Arcade · Dreamcast · Nintendo GameCube · Xbox 360 · PC · Nintendo Switch · PlayStation 4 · Android

Sci-FiFuturistic

IntenseChallengingPrecision-Focused+3

9.6

ICO

Action-Adventure · Puzzle · Platformer

PlayStation 2 · PlayStation 3

FantasyAncient / HistoricalMonsters

AtmosphericDreamlikeEmotional+3

9.5

Fatal Frame

Survival · Horror · Action-Adventure

PlayStation 2 · Xbox · PlayStation 3

SupernaturalOccultGothic+1

CreepyEerieUnsettling+3

9.3

Wario Land 4

Platformer

Game Boy Advance · Nintendo 3DS · Wii U · Nintendo Switch

FantasyMonstersSurreal

ExploratoryFast-PacedQuirky+3

9.2

Shadow Hearts

RPG · Horror · Rhythm / Music

PlayStation 2

SupernaturalOccultDark / Grim+1

MysteriousDarkWeird+2

9.1

Pikmin

Strategy · Puzzle

GameCube · Wii · Nintendo Switch

Sci-FiSpaceAlien+1

AdventurousStrategicCharming+3

9.1

Ace Attorney

Adventure · Visual Novel

Game Boy Advance · Nintendo DS · Windows · Wii · iOS · Android · Nintendo 3DS · Nintendo Switch · PlayStation 4 · Xbox One

Detective / MysteryComedyCrime

FunnyQuirkyCharming+2

8.7

Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee

Action · Adventure · Platformer

Xbox · Game Boy Advance · Microsoft Windows · PlayStation 3 · PlayStation Vita · iOS · Android · Nintendo Switch

Sci-FiDystopianSatire+1

QuirkyWeirdAtmospheric+2