Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →There was no single agreed best game of 2001. The answer changes depending on whether you follow critics’ scores, a publication’s annual awards, or a partial cross-outlet tally. Grand Theft Auto III, Halo: Combat Evolved, Metal Gear Solid 2, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, and Serious Sam: The First Encounter each have a strong case; the best fit depends on what you want to play.
How to choose a best game of 2001
Different measures produce different winners, so it helps to distinguish what each one actually tells you:
- Critic aggregation: Metacritic’s historical 2001 page displays review scores across games, platforms, and genres. It is useful for identifying highly rated releases, but a score does not establish an objective or universally comparable ranking.
- Annual awards: GameSpot separated its PC and console awards in 2001, while Metacritic’s retrospective names a single Game of the Year.
- Cross-outlet count: Meta Awards records a partial tally of sourced Game of the Year awards. It offers a broader snapshot than one outlet’s choice, but it is not a complete count of every award given.
Five leading games of 2001
Grand Theft Auto III — open-world action
Grand Theft Auto III is the strongest all-around pick if you want freedom to explore a city and tackle missions in your own order. Metacritic’s historical page displays a 97 Metascore for the game. GameSpot named it its 2001 console Game of the Year, and Meta Awards’ partial tally records three sourced Game of the Year awards for it, including the Game Developers Choice Awards selection. GameSpot’s retrospective also places it among the releases that helped shape expectations for open-world games.
Halo: Combat Evolved — console science-fiction shooter
Choose Halo if you want a science-fiction shooter built around a console campaign. Metacritic’s historical page displays a 97 Metascore, tied there with Grand Theft Auto III for the highest score among these five candidates. Meta Awards’ partial tally records three sourced Game of the Year awards for Halo, including D.I.C.E. Its record is tied with GTA III in that database—not a definitive count of all awards handed out in 2001.
#1 Best Overall
- 🕹️Officially Licensed: Officially licensed Atari titles, ensuring an authentic gaming experience, includes bonus games.
- Portable Gameplay: Powered by 4 AA batteries (not included) or by a USB-C cable (not included). IMPORTANT NOTE: Please use standard non-rechargeable batteries.
- Collector's Item: A must-own for collectors and fans of video games, celebrating Atari's pioneering legacy spanning over 50 years.
- Headphone Jack: 3.5mm headphone jack lets you enjoy Atari on the go on your own privately. Built-in speaker with volume control and brightness adjustment
- 🎯 Iconic Titles: Relive iconic Atari classics like Pong, Yars Revenge, Breakout, Asteroids Centipede, Missile Command, and many more with 100 games in one compact unit.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty — stealth action
Metal Gear Solid 2 is the pick for stealth, cinematic presentation, and narrative experimentation. Metacritic’s historical page displays a 96 Metascore. Meta Awards’ partial tally records one sourced Game of the Year award for it. Its slightly lower displayed score than GTA III and Halo does not make it a lesser choice for players drawn to stealth and story-led action.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 — skateboarding
For skateboarding, Metacritic’s retrospective names Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 its 2001 Game of the Year. The retrospective highlights the addition of the Revert trick and the series’ first online multiplayer. That makes it a distinct contender rather than simply another high scorer on the historical rankings page.
Rank #2
- Kids Friendly Design: This P30S handheld game console is specially designed for kids. It has a stylish arcade - like appearance. The body fits a child's hand, and the game settings also cater to kids psychology, thus being very attractive.
- Excellent Gaming Experience: Equipped with a 3.0 - inch high - definition screen and excellent speaker sound, it provides an excellent visual and auditory experience for video games. This handheld game console is small and lightweight, convenient for kids to use and carry. Its ergonomic design ensures a comfortable grip, allowing children to fully enjoy the games.
- Rich Collection of Classic Games: This retro handheld game console contains 220 interesting kids video games, including various types such as entertainment, sports, and adventure games, just like those found in many retro game consoles. While playing these games, kids can cultivate skills such as hand - eye coordination, thinking, and problem - solving.
- Convenient Rechargeable and Long - lasting Battery: The video game console is equipped with an 860mAh lithium - ion battery. It ensures that kids can play games without interruption, because there is no need for frequent battery replacement, which is very suitable for playing portable games outdoors. It is a great addition to the world of handheld games for children and can bring more fun to them.
- Absolutely Surprising Gift: Our handheld game toy is a surprising gift for kids, teenagers, and even adults. It is the best gift for birthdays, Christmas, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. Customer satisfaction is our top priority. Our customer support team will serve you wholeheartedly.
Serious Sam: The First Encounter — PC first-person shooting
If you’re looking specifically for a PC shooter, GameSpot’s 2001 PC Game of the Year was Serious Sam: The First Encounter. That category matters: GameSpot’s console winner was Grand Theft Auto III, so the two selections answer different platform-specific questions rather than competing for a single award.
What Metacritic’s 2001 scores show
Metacritic’s historical page, accessed in 2026, displays these scores for five of the year’s leading contenders:
Rank #3
- Face Off with Friends Online: Online play is available across all eight titles, featuring rollback netcode for a strong and stable online experience!
- Hit the Training Bag: Training Mode is now available across all titles with tons of features to help you master combos and setups!
- Expanded Language Support: 14 languages will be supported including English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, French, Italian, German, Castilian Spanish, Russian, Polish, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Arabic!
- A Museum’s Worth of Content: Explore art and music galleries with official art, concept art, design documents, and more never-before-seen content.
- Customize Your Experience: Fine-tune specific features of your gameplay experience via EX Settings specialized to each game, various Display Filters, button customization, and more.
| Game | Metascore displayed on the historical page |
|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto III | 97 |
| Halo: Combat Evolved | 97 |
| Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | 96 |
| Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | 95 |
| Devil May Cry | 94 |
These are the scores shown on Metacritic’s page, not a new analysis. Aggregator scores can change, and the games span different systems and genres. The list is a useful snapshot of critical reception, not a measure of which game every player should prefer.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why 2001 produced several credible winners
The year sat at a hardware transition: Xbox, Game Boy Advance, and GameCube launched, while PlayStation 2 entered its second year. GameSpot’s retrospective connects notable releases from the period with shifts in console shooting and open-world expectations. The year’s leading games also covered sharply different tastes—from Halo’s console shooting and GTA III’s open world to Metal Gear Solid 2’s stealth, Tony Hawk’s skateboarding, and Serious Sam’s PC action.
Which 2001 game should you play?
- Pick Grand Theft Auto III for open-world exploration and mission freedom.
- Pick Halo: Combat Evolved for a console science-fiction shooter.
- Pick Metal Gear Solid 2 for stealth and narrative experimentation.
- Pick Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 for skateboarding and trick-focused play.
- Pick Serious Sam: The First Encounter for a PC first-person shooter.
These are original 2001 releases; a later compilation or remaster is a different edition. Current availability and compatibility vary by edition, region, and hardware, and are not established by the award and ranking sources cited here.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Metacritic: Best Games of 2001
- GameSpot: Every GameSpot Game Of The Year
- GameSpot: Remembering 2001: The Biggest Games That Turn 20 This Year
- Metacritic: Every Metacritic Game of the Year Winner
- Meta Awards: Game of the Year 2001: Who Won? 2 Games Finished Level (updated October 2, 2026)
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
