8 Outstanding Tales Of Vengeance In Video Games

7. Vyse - Skies of Arcadia

Skies of Arcadia was a brilliant Japanese RPG for the Dreamcast. Released in 2000, it's probably the best, most balanced RPG I've ever played (and I have played a lot of freaking RPGs). You play as Vyse, a young firebrand pirate who sails back and forth between floating continents in your flying pirate ship.

The world of Arcadia is slowly having its liberties stolen away by the oppressive state of Valua, and being pirates, Vyse's friends and family have have found themselves on the wrong side of the law. As time progresses, you get closer and closer to unifying the world against the totalitarian Valua, and Valua gets angrier and angrier at you. This results in a worldwide war that, if yer worth yer salt, matey, you emerge victorious from.

It's not a revolutionary story; you're a righteous hero from beginning to end. But sometimes, the way a story is told is more important than the story itself. Vyse's hometown gets decimated, his family gets incarcerated and sentenced to the guillotine, and he becomes separated from his friends midway through the game (after the players has spent 15 hours getting to know them).

What sets Vyse's story of vengeance apart from other, shallower tales is the sheer scope of his adventure.Vyse travels the entire world searching for allies and friends, and literally discovers entire unknown continents along the way, each with its own unique culture and people. Unlike most protagonists spurred on by exacting justice, Vyse isn't brooding or spiteful. He's an optimist, which is one of the most difficult things to be when the world is closing in, and is the most inspiring thing about this gem of a game.