The Last Of Us Part II is a brutal tale about Ellie's revenge and the extreme lengths she goes to in order to fulfill this lust for making people pay for their grievous trespasses against her. This game arguably goes the furthest in terms of how deep into darkness characters steep themselves, but it certainly is not the first game about vengeance.

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The ten games below also follow characters as they try to make someone or a group go down in the name of revenge. Only the best of the best is up here, so one can be sure of a quality game if they play any of these.

10 God Of War

God of war 2005 game

The 2018 game is a more complicated story detailing the relationship between Kratos and his son, but the 2005 debut on the PlayStation 2 sees the main character purely on a quest to destroy Aeris after the God of War tricks Kratos into killing his own family. Even fifteen years after its release, the combat and set pieces are still a good time. The old trilogy also gives one a deeper appreciation of the most recent game.

9 Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor

Middle-earth shadow of mordor

Monolith Productions knocked it out of the park with their interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien's iconic fantasy setting. Along with the solid combat and exploration, the innovative Nemesis System made for dynamic battles which change the way future combat encounters play out. In the story, players are on a quest for revenge after Orcs kill the protagonist and his family, with the former being revived by a supernatural force.

8 Grand Theft Auto IV

Niko Bellic in Grand Theft Auto IV

At first it seems like Niko Bellic is in Liberty City to escape his past and forge a better life in the United States. However, later on in the story the anti-hero reveals his secondary intention in coming to the fictional city.

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While fighting in his homeland, a fellow soldier sold out his squad, resulting in most of his comrades' deaths. He comes to the city searching for the survivors of the attack and for payback against the soldier who sold him out.

7 Max Payne

Max Payne 2001 game shoot dodge

This 2001 third-person shooter put developer Remedy on the map with its brutal narrative detailing the titular detective's search for justice after his wife and child are horrifically slain. The excellent voice work by James McCaffrey brings life to the iconic character, an especially impressive performance considering the release year. While the graphics are now primitive and the shooting is not as tight as it could be, the atmosphere and plot hold up excellently.

6 Shenmue

This massive saga started in 1999 and only received its third entry in 2019 after a huge hiatus. Ryo Hazuki's journey starts with searching for revenge after his father is killed in front of his own eyes.

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The scope of the story expands by the end of the first game, but Ryo is still honed in on avenging his father. Hopefully Yu Suzuki is able to finish the story he started.

5 Assassin's Creed II

An image from Assassin's Creed II.

Ezio Auditore da Firenze is born into a wealthy family, but his life is turned upside down when almost his father and brothers are executed in public after discovering a large conspiracy within Italy. Through this tragedy Ezio becomes an Assassin and avenges his father, a process which includes beating up Pope Alexander VI. Ezio also remains one of the most popular characters in the Assassin's Creed franchise.

4 Red Dead Revolver

While 2010's Red Dead Redemption's revenge plot only comes into play during the ending, its spiritual predecessor, Red Dead Revolver, is more heavily focused on the player making his father's former partner pay for his betrayal when the main character, Red, was just a child. The game is a linear action game with no direct connections to the two future Red Dead Redemption games other than the Western setting, but it still an interesting adventure none the less.

3 Ninja Gaiden

Ninja Gaiden 2004 action game

Ryг Hyabusa is the star of one of the hardest Xbox games. It all starts when the main character's village is destroyed and his life is taken. He is revived and seeks vengeance against those who wronged him and his people. The first two games are considered action game classics, while the third entry proved more polarizing. It also take place in the same universe as the popular fighting game franchise, Dead or Alive.

2 Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver

legacy of kain soul reaver copy

Soul Reaver opens with the main character being cut down by Kain. A character dubbed Elder God revives him, however, thus starting his quest for revenge. The second game in the Legacy of Kain series also leads into a sequel, Soul Reaver 2. Future games also see Kain return as a playable character, which should say something about how this game ends. Amy Hennig directed this action-adventure classic, who would also go on to direct the first three Uncharted games.

1 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

The opening of The Phantom Pain sees Venom Snake escape a hospital under attack after having been in a coma for nine years. The rest of the journey sees him and Kazuhira Miller focused in on avenging their fallen army by hunting down Skull Face. The villain's motivations and the overall conflict make the game about so much more than revenge, however, and it also brings the franchise full circle, explaining how these events led to the original Metal Gear.

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