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Top 20 Video Games About Vengeance You Need to Play

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Ignacio Weil

Gaming - April 5th 2025, 15:00 GMT+2

Cropped Heavenly Sword — 20. Heavenly Sword (2007)

Meet Nariko, a fierce warrior with a flaming red mane and a serious chip on her shoulder. Her clan has been hunted, her people are dying, and she’s stuck wielding a cursed sword that’s draining her life faster than a double-shot espresso. But is she going to sit back and let the villainous King Bohan get away with it? Not a chance. *Heavenly Sword* is basically a Shakespearean tragedy wrapped in hack-and-slash glory, and Nariko’s quest for vengeance is as stylish as it is tragic. Bonus points for having Andy Serkis play the bad guy – you know it’s personal when Gollum’s coming for your soul. | © Ninja Theory

19. Bulletstorm (2011)

Ah yes, nothing says revenge like a foul-mouthed space pirate with a flair for creative dismemberment. In *Bulletstorm*, you play as Grayson Hunt, a former black ops soldier turned drunken renegade who crashes on a mutant-infested planet just to settle the score with his old boss. His brand of vengeance? Kicking, shooting, exploding, and yelling insults so colorfully absurd they’d make a sailor blush. It's over-the-top, gloriously juvenile, and exactly the kind of cathartic revenge fantasy that involves more “skillshots” than Shakespearean monologues. | © People Can Fly / Epic Games

Cropped fable 2 — 18. Fable 2 (2008)

Once upon a time, a young hero watched their sister die and their childhood home go boom – all thanks to a sinister dude named Lucien. Fast-forward a few years, and you’re out for good old-fashioned fantasy revenge. Along the way, you’ll buy property, fart at villagers, and possibly marry a blacksmith. But underneath the whimsical exterior is a deeply personal tale of retribution. Lucien messed with the wrong kid, and now you’ve got magic, swords, and a dog to help you serve justice on a silver platter (with a side of chicken-chasing). | © Lionhead Studios

Cropped mercenaries 2 — 17. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (2008)

What’s worse than getting double-crossed by a corrupt Venezuelan official? Getting shot in the butt while it happens. In *Mercenaries 2*, your character (choose between three delightfully sarcastic options) is out for revenge after a job goes south – and by south, we mean literal explosions across a war-torn country. This game isn’t about subtlety. It’s about blowing stuff up, getting paid, and making sure your backstabbing ex-employer regrets ever pulling that trigger. Vengeance, here, comes in the form of tanks, airstrikes, and a whole lot of collateral damage. | © Pandemic Studios

Asuras wrath — 16. Asura's Wrath (2012)

Imagine if a Greek tragedy and an anime had a caffeine-fueled baby, and that baby was really, really angry. That’s *Asura’s Wrath* in a nutshell. You play as Asura, a betrayed demigod who’s been framed, murdered (sort of), and cast down to Earth. But Asura isn’t here to forgive and forget – he’s here to SCREAM, PUNCH GODS, and SCREAM SOME MORE. His rage could power a small city, and his revenge journey spans lifetimes and galaxies. Over-the-top doesn’t begin to cover it, but when your fists are literally breaking the moon, who needs subtlety? | © CyberConnect2

Cropped Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn — 15. Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (2007)

In *Radiant Dawn*, revenge is served with turn-based strategy and just a sprinkle of political chaos. The game picks up after the events of *Path of Radiance*, and this time you're following Micaiah and the Dawn Brigade, who are fighting to free their war-torn homeland of Daein from occupation. But this isn’t just about patriotism – it’s about sticking it to the empire that brought their world to ruin. Plot twists, betrayals, and ancient gods getting involved? Oh yeah. This is revenge Fire Emblem-style: with grid-based murder and emotional damage. | © Intelligent Systems / Nintendo

METAL GEAR RISING REVENGEANCE — 14. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (2013)

Let’s be honest: any game that makes up the word *“Revengeance”* isn’t exactly subtle. You play as Raiden, a cybernetic ninja with a katana that can slice through tanks like butter – and a serious score to settle. After his friends are butchered and he’s left for dead, Raiden goes full edgelord, seeking revenge on a private military company and its psychopathic members. The story is bonkers, the bosses are memes in the making, and the swordplay is so ridiculous it loops back around to genius. Revenge has never looked this... platinum. | © PlatinumGames / Konami

13. Ryse: Son of Rome (2013)

Romans weren’t exactly known for their chill, and *Ryse* takes that up to eleven. You play as Marius, a centurion who watches his family get murdered and then swears a blood oath to make everyone responsible wish they’d picked a different career path. Cue a cinematic parade of slow-motion slashes, dramatic speeches, and enough betrayal to fill a toga. Is it historically accurate? Not even close. But is it a stylish, rage-fueled power fantasy with sandals and swords? Absolutely. Revenge has never been so... marble-clad. | © Crytek

Assassins Creed 2 — 12. Assassin's Creed II (2009)

Ezio Auditore da Firenze had it all – wealth, charm, killer looks – and then the Templars had to go and murder his father and brothers. Cue the most stylish vendetta in Renaissance Italy. *Assassin’s Creed II* transforms Ezio from a swaggering playboy into a hooded agent of revenge, climbing cathedrals and stabbing corrupt nobles in the name of justice. His journey spans cities, decades, and more dramatic monologues than you can shake a hidden blade at. It’s a tale of vengeance dressed in silk, with a soundtrack that whispers, “You’re about to make someone pay.” | © Ubisoft

Splinter Cell Conviction — 11. Splinter Cell: Conviction (2010)

Sam Fisher has always been dangerous, but *Conviction* shows what happens when you piss him off personally. After learning of his daughter’s mysterious death, Sam ditches the shadows and goes rogue – no more waiting in the dark, this time he’s smashing heads and interrogating folks in bathroom mirrors. His quest for revenge is gritty, intense, and deeply personal, with plenty of neck-snapping thrown in for good measure. It’s a grizzled-dad-on-a-warpath simulator, and honestly, it rules. Don’t mess with Fisher’s family. Ever. | © Ubisoft

The darkness msn — 10. The Darkness (2007)

Picture this: you’re a hitman named Jackie Estacado, and on your 21st birthday you inherit a demonic force called The Darkness – because adulthood just isn’t complicated enough. After your girlfriend is murdered in front of you by your scumbag uncle (yes, *that* uncle), Jackie dives headfirst into a gritty revenge spiral with the help of ancient, tentacle-wielding evil. It’s grim, it’s weird, and it’s full of those “wait, did I just eat someone’s heart?” moments. But at the core? A surprisingly emotional vendetta wrapped in supernatural chaos. Vengeance has never been so... gooey. | © Starbreeze Studios

Max payne — 9. Max Payne Series (2001–2012)

Max Payne isn’t just seeking revenge – he’s practically the poster child for it. In the first game, his wife and child are brutally murdered, and Max goes full noir avenger, complete with trench coats, bullet time, and enough internal monologues to fill a Raymond Chandler novel. The sequels just pile on more tragedy, betrayal, and brooding. By the time *Max Payne 3* rolls around, he’s grayer, drunker, and still haunted – but you better believe he’s not done avenging. These games are operatic shootouts with a soul, wrapped in gritty style and poetic despair. | © Remedy Entertainment / Rockstar Games

8. Dishonored (2012)

In *Dishonored*, Corvo Attano goes from loyal bodyguard to supernatural assassin faster than you can say “wrongly accused.” After the Empress is murdered and her daughter kidnapped, Corvo is framed for the crime and imprisoned. But instead of wallowing, he makes a pact with a mysterious being, gains freaky powers, and begins a stylish killing spree across a plague-ridden steampunk city. Revenge here is shadowy, stylish, and served with a side of teleportation and plague rats. Whether you go stealthy or stabby, it’s all about making them regret crossing Corvo. | © Arkane Studios

The last of us 2 ellie — 7. The Last of Us Part II (2020)

This one’s not just about revenge – it’s about what revenge does to a person. Ellie’s journey in *The Last of Us Part II* is brutal, personal, and messy as hell. After a deeply traumatic event involving a certain beloved character (you know the one), she sets off on a bloody path of retribution through a post-apocalyptic hellscape. But the game doesn’t let her off easy – it forces you to feel every choice, every consequence, and question whether vengeance is worth the cost. It’s painful, powerful, and beautifully ugly. A masterpiece of emotional whiplash. | © Naughty Dog

Cropped God of War — 6. God of War Trilogy (2005–2010)

Before he was a sad dad, Kratos was the angriest man in Greece. In the original *God of War* trilogy, he’s tricked into murdering his own family by the god Ares, and from that moment on, it’s full-on deity demolition mode. Kratos isn’t just mad – he’s *my entire personality is revenge* mad. Over the course of three games, he brutally dismantles the entire Greek pantheon, making Olympus look like a demolition site. It’s loud, bloody, mythological mayhem, and Kratos wields his vengeance like he wields his Blades of Chaos – with zero chill. | © Santa Monica Studio

5. Sifu (2022)

You know a game means business when it literally tracks your *age* every time you die. In *Sifu*, you play a martial artist whose family was slaughtered by a group of ex-disciples gone rogue. Fueled by a mystical talisman and an iron will, you set off on a sleek, hand-to-hand revenge tour through nightclubs, museums, and burning shrines. Every punch, kick, and dodge feels like part of a brutal ballet – except you're not dancing, you're here to make people pay. And yeah, you might get older as you go, but vengeance? That never ages. | © Sloclap

Cropped Fallout New Vegas — 4. Fallout: New Vegas (2010)

Sometimes revenge comes in a tuxedo and shoots you in the face. In *New Vegas*, you start the game literally crawling out of your own shallow grave after a sleazy gambler named Benny double-crosses you. That’s right – he shoots you, buries you, and leaves you for dead. But this is the Mojave Wasteland, baby, and you’re not just going to walk away. You’re going to walk *back*, armed to the teeth, charm at the ready, and one snarky vendetta guiding your every choice. Vegas wasn’t built on mercy – and neither are you. | © Obsidian Entertainment

Cropped Shenmue — 3. Shenmue (1999)

Long before open-world games were a thing, *Shenmue* gave us Ryo Hazuki: a teenage martial artist on a painfully methodical quest to avenge his father’s murder. After witnessing his dad get one-punched into oblivion by the mysterious Lan Di, Ryo sets off to find answers, train his skills, and ask *a lot* of questions about sailors. It’s slow, it’s oddly charming, and it’s packed with that classic “revenge at all costs” energy. Ryo may be polite, but don’t let the tucked-in shirt fool you – this boy’s out for justice. | © SEGA

Cropped Grand Theft Auto IV — 2. Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)

Revenge is messy. Revenge *in Liberty City* is a bloody soap opera with explosions. In *GTA IV*, you play as Niko Bellic, an immigrant trying to escape a violent past... only to be pulled right back into it when betrayal and loss start piling up. What begins as a search for the man who sold out his army unit turns into a chaotic spree of vengeance, choices, and darkly comic shootouts. Niko’s not your average criminal – he’s a wounded soul with a grenade launcher. And when he says he wants answers? He means bodies will drop. | © Rockstar Games

1. Red Dead Redemption (2010)

Revenge in the Wild West has never looked so heartbreaking. John Marston is a former outlaw forced to hunt down his old gang in exchange for the safety of his family. But this isn’t just about redemption – it’s about reckoning. As John rides across the dying frontier, facing his past one blood-stained shootout at a time, you can feel the weight of every decision. The final twist? Well, let’s just say vengeance isn’t always fair, and sometimes, the cost is everything. This is revenge with a soul – and a revolver. | © Rockstar Games

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Vengeance has always been a powerful driving force in storytelling – and video games take that theme to another level. Whether it’s avenging a fallen loved one, seeking justice for betrayal, or unleashing fury after years of suffering, these games deliver emotional, action-packed narratives that keep players hooked. In this list, we’re counting down the top 20 video games about vengeance – titles that turn revenge into an unforgettable gameplay experience. From brutal combat to heart-wrenching plots, these games explore the darker side of human motivation and the thrilling paths it can lead us down.

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Vengeance has always been a powerful driving force in storytelling – and video games take that theme to another level. Whether it’s avenging a fallen loved one, seeking justice for betrayal, or unleashing fury after years of suffering, these games deliver emotional, action-packed narratives that keep players hooked. In this list, we’re counting down the top 20 video games about vengeance – titles that turn revenge into an unforgettable gameplay experience. From brutal combat to heart-wrenching plots, these games explore the darker side of human motivation and the thrilling paths it can lead us down.