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We are taken to the Final Fantasy VII world in an era where ShinRa, an electric power company full of corrupt and ruthless people, seems to rule the Planet and, at the same time, threaten its very existence by extracting Mako energy from the Lifestream with its numerous reactors, which later on is converted into electric energy. The Lifestream is the place every single living being returns to after death, and the extinction of it compromises the Planet's survival. To stop ShinRa, many factions have been created, mainly in Midgar, a technologically advanced but extremely dark and depressing metropolis where light from the sun barely reaches and flowers aren't allowed to bloom.

One of the these factions is AVALANCHE (deeper detail about it here), ruled by Barret Wallace. AVALANCHE follows the principle of fighting violence with violence: hardly the best of plans, but in such a hopeless world going downfall so fast, extreme situations end up leading to extreme measures from otherwise pacific people. Final Fantasy VII's "Planet" is inhabited by extremely poor, miserable people who are in constant fear of ShinRa's merciless actions towards them, for they realize that human lives aren't above money and power when it comes to the company's priorities. Mercenaries from SOLDIER are sent after anyone who attempts a single step against ShinRa's unfolding plans for the world, and, surrounded by such violence, not many people can tell right from wrong anymore. Most people in Final Fantasy VII aren't living: they're merely surviving.

Cloud Strife, our quite unconventional "hero", is an ex-SOLDIER hired by AVALANCHE to go on a mission, mainly consisting of destroying Midgar's Mako reactors in hope that the Planet will be able to live a little longer. Not only does ShinRa consider this "betrayal", as reactors are their very primary source of money and power you will be constantly fought by SOLDIER mercenaries. We meet Tifa Lockheart in the slums of Midgar, as both a barmaid and a member of AVALANCHE, claiming to be a childhood friend of Cloud's: which doesn't seem to mean much to him at this point. As you play, consecutively deeper issues will be exposed to you, and you will end up finding out why FFVII is considered Squaresoft's biggest achievement when you find yourself addicted and tangled in this cruel, twisted tale of life and death, strength and weakness, fear and courage, where all trust bonds and moral values are put to the test and love seems to be the only savior...

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