Best Games About Finding Peace

Best Games About Finding Peace

Key Takeaways

  • Peace achieved through fear is not true peace, as seen in the world peace themes in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.
  • Flower and Max Payne 2 explore inner peace and emotional growth as players progress through their stories.
  • Final Fantasy 10-2 depicts Yuna’s journey of finding peace after losing Tidus, with a hidden ending complicating her progress.

As a long-time gamer and self-proclaimed connoisseur of emotional rollercoasters, I’ve found myself deeply moved by the narratives that explore the complexities of peace – both inner and worldly. Games like Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Flower, Max Payne 2, Final Fantasy X-2, and Silent Hill 2 have all left indelible marks on my gaming journey.


The concept and measure of what constitutes peace – be it personal or global – varies among individuals. Can true peace truly exist when it’s obtained through violent means? The scenarios presented below delve into both aspects, yet they don’t always provide a clear-cut resolution to this question.

Occasionally, I find myself drawn to video game characters yearning for tranquility, only to realize that their quests often go unfulfilled. Despite an abundance of diverse genres, it seems gamers are predominantly immersed in activities that involve violence, even if it’s not direct combat against virtual foes. This complexity surrounding the concept of peace within gaming becomes evident, even when discussing personal inner peace and serenity.

You can freely view the games listed here without any plot revelations as a spoiler, but be aware that specific details about each game might be considered spoilers when you read through the individual entries.

5 Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

World Peace Through Fear Of Destruction

In the Metal Gear Solid series, the idea of world peace is consistently explored, yet it is most prominently featured in Peace Walker. This game primarily focuses on the concept of nuclear dissuasion, where nations avoid mutual annihilation by the threat of nuclear weapons. Notably, the main antagonist Big Boss confronts a machine in the title, which is governed by an AI designed to manage the United States’ nuclear stockpile.

Essentially, Peace Walker implies that the so-called peace isn’t genuine; instead, it’s a state of existence filled with fear. It’s disheartening to ponder over a universe where nations live in apprehension towards each other as opposed to one where they can openly share thoughts and knowledge.

As a gamer, I found that Peace Walker isn’t nearly as gritty, intense, or somber as the 2015 release, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. It still tackles deep themes, but it has a different tone and pace.

4 Flower

Take The Time To Find Inner Peace, No Matter How Busy Life Gets

In the game of Flower, there’s no clear-cut text stating that it revolves around discovering tranquility. Interestingly, such explicit guidance is absent throughout the entirety of Flower. However, this ambiguity is part of its charm. The gameplay itself is serene, soothing, and almost therapeutic. Your objective is to effortlessly glide through the surroundings as the wind gathers more petals from flowers, infusing the world with vibrant hues.

The six stages of this game gradually lead players towards a bustling urban setting, while initially showcasing a monochrome cityscape. By the end of the game, vibrancy returns to the once gloomy city, symbolizing the significance of discovering tranquility amidst the busy, time-poor contemporary world, where individuals seldom find moments for introspection and adding color to their lives. In essence, Flower serves as a reminder of the importance of peace in today’s fast-paced society.

3 Max Payne 2

What Is Max’s Life After Bringing His Family’s Killers To Justice?

Remedy’s classic Max Payne is an intense odyssey set in a hyper-realistic New York City, where justice is sought through vengeance. In Max Payne 2, several years have passed and Max, though living a routine life, finds it devoid of meaning. He encounters another intricate web of deceit that reintroduces familiar faces. This game offers a glimpse into Max’s profound solitude, as evidenced by a phone call he makes to a service typically used for intimate conversations, merely seeking human interaction. Amidst the tangled plot and trail of corpses, he develops feelings for Mona Sax.

After the game concluded, Max appeared to gain greater understanding and emotional stability. His final statement, “I had a dream about my wife. She was deceased, yet it was all right,” suggests that he has come to terms with the unimaginable loss and is now prepared to progress in his life.

In Max Payne 3, it appears that the character development or emotional growth that Max experienced in Max Payne 2, as created by Rockstar Games, is not directly addressed or continued.

2 Final Fantasy 10-2

Tidus Was Not A Real Person, But It Still Hurt Yuna To See Him Go

By completing Final Fantasy 10, players become intimately familiar with the world of Spira, making its revisit in the sequel Final Fantasy 10-2 feel like catching up with an old acquaintance. Contrary to being a serious game, Final Fantasy 10-2 has a more cheerful tone. However, it doesn’t lack depth and carries emotional significance. The narrative begins on a jovial note as Yuna sings a catchy pop song instead of the usual city destruction scene, but the tension builds up as the game progresses.

Throughout my gaming journey, I, much like Yuna, have been grappling with the loss of Tidus, my virtual partner. Despite the pain, I’ve clung onto the faint hope that somehow, someway, I could bring him back. However, even in a less-than-perfect gameplay experience, Yuna ultimately lets go, finding the strength to heal and discover inner tranquility.

As a dedicated Final Fantasy X fan, I stumbled upon an elusive finale that miraculously resurrected Tidus – a twist that, to some extent, seemed to roll back Yuna’s personal growth and the profound theme the game had been weaving all along.

1 Silent Hill 2

James Sunderland Travels To A Terrifying Town In The Hope Of Finding Peace

In simpler terms, James Sunderland journeys to the town of Silent Hill following a letter from his late wife, hinting she’s there. At first glance, it seems like a typical survival horror game. However, as events unfold, it transforms into an introspective journey about guilt, as James’ past gradually unravels for the player to discover.

In both the original 2001 version and its 2024 remake, Silent Hill 2 delves not into fear of death but rather into the terror of uncovering one’s deepest fears and emotions. It’s not just about James Sunderland; the other characters he encounters are grappling with their own emotional turmoil, and not all of them have a happy resolution. The game’s ending can leave players debating whether or not James achieves peace in the end.

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2024-10-20 06:04