The PlayStation 2 was an astounding console for its time, further cementing the success Sony had found with its predecessor. While tons of games came out for the PS2 that live on in gamers' memories, an argument could be made that one particular year's holiday season of releases had some of the best.

The PlayStation 1 was a massive success for Sony despite it being unfamiliar territory for the brand. The PS1 is estimated to have moved 104 million units, but the PS2 continued and surpassed this trend, moving nearly 158 million units over the course of its lifespan.

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While the PS2's graphical and system capabilities were a huge part of this success, it wouldn't have made it as far as it did without talented developers making games for the system. That's where an image shared by Reddit user ThePughskii comes in, highlighting some of the major hitters that were slated to release back in the fall and holiday season of 2001. Anyone who played on a PS2 will likely remember at least one of them fondly.

It would be an understatement to say that many of these games were anything but genre re-defining and absolute classics. GTA 3 was following on the heels of moderate success but ultimately acted as the springboard for what the series has accomplished since. Final Fantasy 10 stunned RPG fans with its impressive graphics and brought voice acting to the series for the first time. Metal Gear Solid 2 and Silent Hill 2 likely need no introduction, standing as two massive classics from Konami, and Devil May Cry would start a brand new Capcom series that fans adore to this day.

Those titles are still loved by fans, but it's just the tip of the iceberg, with other massive hitters like Jax and Daxter, Ace Combat 04, Gran Turismo 3, Ico, and Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance also on the release schedule. While some consoles have been criticized for a lack of enjoyable games over the years, players would have been hard pressed to find the time to check out all these games back when they launched.

Fans of the PS2 were quick to voice their memories and opinions on the games, with most in agreement that it was a truly golden era for gaming and the PS2. Sadly, some of these franchises haven't continued to the present, but these games are still worth players' time. With older PlayStation games on PS Plus, hopefully many players will be able to revisit their classic favorites and younger gamers can meet them for the first time.

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