FINAL FANTASY VII

Final Fantasy VII

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The game's setting follows in the footsteps of Final Fantasy VI by presenting a world with considerably more advanced technology than the first five games in the series. Overall, the game's technology and society approximates that of an industrial or post-industrial science fiction.[8] The world of Final Fantasy VII, referred to in the game as "The Planet", but retroactively named "Gaia", is composed of three main land masses. The eastern continent features the city of Midgar, an industrial metropolis that serves as the capital city of the world as it hosts headquarters of the Shinra, who operate as the de facto world government. Other locations on the continent are Junon, Shinra's major military base; Fort Condor, a fort with a huge condor covering up a Mako reactor on top of it; a chocobo ranch; and Kalm, a small town inspired by medieval Europe.

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The western continent features most of the accessible areas, which include the Gold Saucer, an amusement park with Corel Prison below; Costa Del Sol, a seaside resort; Nibelheim, a town residing at the base of Mt. Nibel; Rocket Town, the location of Shinra's failed rocket launch; and a settlement called Cosmo Canyon. Wutai, a village inspired by pre-modern Japan and China, is located on a large island off the western continent. The tribe inhabiting Cosmo Canyon emphasize living in harmony with nature and dedicating causes to the planet's well-being.[9] Their settlement features an observatory and serves as a research facility for those who wish to participate in a philosophy known as the "Study of Planet Life", a lifestyle that encourages deference for nature and teaches that the planet has a life of its own.[9] The northernmost continent is a heavily glaciated landmass, and its few settlements include an excavation site; a ski resort; the mythical "City of the Ancients"; and the Northern Crater, where the game's climax takes place. There are also underwater locations accessible via submarine, such as a sunken plane transporter.

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Final Fantasy VII begins with Cloud joining AVALANCHE in a series of raids against the Mako reactors surrounding the city of Midgar. Although the first mission is successful, AVALANCHE is trapped at another reactor during a subsequent raid. The reactor explodes, launching Cloud from the upper levels of Midgar into the slums below. He lands on a flower bed, where he is formally introduced to Aeris.[21] Prompted by the arrival of Shinra's Turks operatives sent to capture Aeris, Cloud agrees to be Aeris' bodyguard and defends her from the Turks.[22] After the Shinra discover the location of AVALANCHE's hideout,[23] they destroy it by demolishing the entirety of Sector 7, killing its population and three members of AVALANCHE. The Turks also capture Aeris, who is revealed to be the last surviving "Cetra",[24] a race closely attuned with the planet and previously thought extinct. President Shinra believes Aeris can lead him to the "Promised Land", a mythical land of fertility, where he expects to find Mako energy

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Influenced by Sephiroth, Cloud becomes suspicious of his memories and insists he is not a real human, but instead a specimen created from Jenova's genetic material by Professor Hojo. Jenova was an interstellar creature who crash landed on the planet roughly 2,000 years prior to the game's events. Jenova had intended to infect all living organisms on the planet with a virus inducing insanity and monstrous transformations;[30] among its victims were most of the Cetra. Attempting to defend itself, the planet created giant monsters called "WEAPONs". The majority of humans fled rather than fight Jenova; however, a small group of Cetra survivors managed to defeat and confine Jenova.[31] Eventually, the remains of Jenova were unearthed by Professor Gast, a researcher for the Shinra Company. Mistaking the creature for a Cetra, Gast was given authorization to conduct an experiment to artificially produce a Cetra by combining cells from Jenova with the fetus of an unborn child.[30] Sephiroth learned that he was the product of this experiment while on a Shinra mission in Cloud and Tifa's hometown, Nibelheim. He concluded that he was a Cetra who had been produced solely from Jenova's genetic material. He burned down Nibelheim, intending to kill all descendants of those he believed had abandoned his ancestors in the defense of the planet. Cloud confronted Sephiroth during this massacre, after which Sephiroth vanished under unknown circumstances and was presumed dead until his reappearance in the Shinra building. When AVALANCHE travels to the Northern Crater to confront Sephiroth, he tells Cloud that he was not in Nibelheim, showing him images of a SOLDIER with dark hair who occupies Cloud's place in his memories.[32] Tifa is unable to refute Sephiroth's claims, and Sephiroth casts the Meteor spell, causing the planet to awaken the WEAPONs in response. During the earthquake that follows, Cloud is separated from his companions and falls into the Lifestream.

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The remaining members of AVALANCHE infiltrate Shinra corporate headquarters to rescue Aeris. After freeing her and Red XIII, they escape because most of the personnel in the building, including the president, are killed by Sephiroth, a man presumed to be dead, who stated that he would never allow Shinra to claim the Promised Land.[26] The party also learns that during Sephiroth's attack on Shinra, the headless body of a creature named "Jenova" disappeared from the building's research facility.[27] While the president's son, Rufus Shinra, assumes control of the company, AVALANCHE pursues Sephiroth across the planet, fearing his intentions for the Promised Land may be more destructive than Shinra's. The party is joined by Cait Sith and Cid Highwind, and optionally by Vincent and Yuffie. The full scope of Sephiroth's plan is eventually revealed: if the world is significantly damaged, the Lifestream will gather in an attempt to heal the wound. Sephiroth intends to use a powerful spell called "Meteor" to cause this injury, and then merge with the planet's energy, allowing him to be reborn as a god and rule over the planet.[28] Aeris sets off to stop Sephiroth on her own. AVALANCHE follow her to the northern continent, where they enter an ancient Cetra city. After finding Aeris praying to the planet for aid, Sephiroth impales Aeris with his sword himself

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Cloud and Zack were among the wounded survivors who were apprehended by Shinra as part of a cover-up of Sephiroth's massacre. Professor Hojo subjected these survivors to an experiment, performing the same enhancements given to SOLDIER members—a procedure which included Mako showers and the injection of Jenova cells. All but Zack entered a comatose state, and nearly five years later, Zack broke free from his confinement and took Cloud with him. However, the alien Jenova cells in Cloud's body still allowed Sephiroth to modulate his behavior. Moreover, the cells' ability to duplicate information allowed Cloud's mind to construct a false persona built around Zack's behavior. This was prompted by Zack himself, who was killed outside Midgar by Shinra soldiers during the escape; he urged Cloud to live both their lives before passing on. Afterward, Tifa discovered Cloud, who was wearing a SOLDIER 1st Class uniform, and offered him a job with AVALANCHE.

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As the meteor summoned by Sephiroth slowly approaches the planet, the Shinra Company focuses its efforts on protecting humanity from the WEAPONs, as well as defeating Sephiroth, in the hopes that this will dismiss Meteor itself.[33] Meanwhile, the members of AVALANCHE find Cloud in a catatonic state on a tropical resort where he washed up following the casting of Meteor. The WEAPONs' destructive activity causes the island to split open, and Cloud and Tifa fall into the Lifestream, where she reconstructs Cloud's memories and learns the truth about his past. It is revealed that Cloud never succeeded in joining SOLDIER, and that the dark-haired SOLDIER from his memories was actually Aeris's first love and Cloud's best friend, Zack Fair. Zack, Tifa, and Cloud had fought Sepiroth during the burning of Nibelheim. Although Tifa and Zack were defeated, Cloud and Sephiroth severely wounded one another. After decapitating Jenova, Sephiroth was thrown into the Lifestream by Cloud, taking the creature's head with him. Rather than dying, his body and consciousness were crystallized in Mako inside Jenova's crater.

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After Cloud awakens, it is revealed that Aeris, in her final moments, was casting the spell "Holy" with the White Materia, the only means of opposing Meteor. Although she succeeded, Sephiroth had since prevented the spell from taking effect. Deciding to protect humanity from the WEAPONs before approaching Sephiroth, Shinra and AVALANCHE destroy the WEAPONs, although nearly all of Shinra's executives are killed in the process. Among the few survivors are Reeve Tuesti, who is revealed to be the repentant controller of Cait Sith,[34] and Professor Hojo, who is revealed to be Sephiroth's biological father. He explains that he and his wife were assistants to Professor Gast, and offered up their unborn child as a test subject to research involving Jenova.[35] After finding out that Hojo is trying to help Sephiroth gain mastery over the Lifestream, AVALANCHE kills him. Cloud tells his team to go find what they are fighting for, before they begin a final assault against Sephiroth. With each member of Cloud's group at peace with his or her past, the group travels through the Northern Crater to the planet's core. They defeat Sephiroth and free Holy, but the spell is unable to destroy Meteor alone. Selected as Meteor's target, Midgar is almost completely destroyed. However, the Lifestream rises from the planet to aid Holy in destroying the Meteor.[36] During the epilogue, taking place 500 years after the game's events, Red XIII runs through a canyon with two cubs at his side. He proceeds up a cliff-face, which reveals a lush land of greenery where Midgar had once been

Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core

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Crisis Core takes place some years before the events of Final Fantasy VII, and as such, many characters from the game and other related works appear in Crisis Core. However, the primary characters in the game are from either Shinra Electric Power Company's private armed forces dubbed SOLDIER, or from their covert branch of operatives called the Turks.

The main protagonist and playable character of Crisis Core is Zack Fair, a young and friendly man. At the start of the game, he is a 2nd class SOLDIER operative. Angeal is a 1st class SOLDIER and acts as a mentor for Zack and father-like figure.

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Both are friends with fellow SOLDIER members Sephiroth and Genesis, the latter serving as the game's primary antagonist who takes special interest in an unfinished play called "LOVELESS". The SOLDIER operatives work under Director Lazard, the illegitimate son of President Shinra. Zack is also friends with the Turks, particularly their leader Tseng and one of their female operatives Cissnei. During the course of the game, Zack encounters and befriends Aerith, a young woman tending flowers from a ruined church in the Midgar slums, and also befriends Cloud, a Shinra infantryman, and like Zack, raised in a country town. Zack also encounters Dr. Hollander, a former Shinra scientist that is performing unethical experiments in secret. Luxiere and Kunsel are two SOLDIER operatives that befriend Zack, as well as informing him on events and actions while offering help in his time of need.

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Genesis and several other SOLDIER forces desert Shinra after an operation in Wutai. As SOLDIER further investigates the situation, Angeal also goes missing. Zack eventually tracks both Angeal and Genesis to their hometown of Banora. Zack sees Genesis mutate a single black wing from the left side of his back, while Angeal obtains a big white wing and one smaller wing from the right side his back. Due to his mothers shame, she kills herself. Genesis flies away while Zack helps to evacuate Angeal before the village is destroyed by Shinra bomb. Genesis then learns he has the ability to pass along his cells to others, mutating them in the same way, and creates an army of "Genesis copies" to attack Shinra headquarters. Though the forces are defeated, Angeal goes missing again. Zack and Sephiroth track down Genesis' mutation to a secret lab deep in a Midgar mako reactor, and learn that Dr. Hollander, a genetic researcher, had used both Genesis and Angeal as part of Project G, an attempt to clone human beings. Zack attempts to chase down Hollander but is stopped by Angeal, now with one white wing, intent on keeping Hollander alive. Angeal knocks Zack through the floor of the reactor into the slums of Midgar.

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Zack recovers to find Aerith tending over him. Zack returns to SOLDIER headquarters and is ordered to investigate a mako excavation site near Modeoheim where Genesis has been spotted; en route, Zack meets Shinra infantry soldier Cloud Strife, and due to their similar background, quickly becomes friends with him. Zack encounters Genesis at the facility and beats him in battle, but instead of being captured, Genesis appears to commit suicide by throwing himself into the depths of the facility. Zack travels to the Modeoheim and finds both Angeal and Hollander. It turns out that Project G was named after Angeal's mother, Gillian, not Genesis. Angeal's mother was so ashamed of having been the root of Project G that she killed herself (Angeal did not kill her). Angeal struggles to hold back his mutation but is unable to do so, and Zack is forced to kill him. Before he dies, Angeal gives Zack his buster sword, stating that "My honor, my dreams, they are yours now." Hollander is captured by arriving Shinra forces, but later escapes during an attack by Genesis clones, while Zack, distraught over the death of his friend and mentor, goes back to the Sector 5 church, where he is comforted by Aerith.

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Sometime later Zack, now promoted to 1st class SOLDIER, travels with Sephiroth and Cloud to investigate a mako reactor near Nibelheim. Sephiroth discovers he himself was an experiment, implanted with cells of the extraterrestrial Jenova. In his anger, Sephiroth sets Nibelheim's town ablaze. Zack attempts to defeat Sephiroth but fails, but Cloud arrives and despite being impaled by Sephiroth's sword, is able to throw Sephiroth into the Lifestream. Zack and Cloud fall unconscious. Zack awakes to find he and Cloud part of Dr. Hojo's experiments on Jenova cells and Mako exposure; while Zack is unaffected by the Jenova cells, thanks to the genetic modifications already present in him thanks to SOLDIER, Cloud has reacted badly to the introduction of Jenova cells into his body and is unable to move on his own. Zack helps Cloud to escape and they quickly become high priority targets for the Shinra forces. Zack encounters Cissnei during their escape, but she does not capture them, instead allowing them use of a Turk motorcycle. While fleeing, Genesis intercepts Zack and Cloud, and makes one of his clones eat a lock of Zack's hair. When this causes the mutation to go awry, Genesis flies away. Zack, realizing that Genesis is trying to stabilize his mutation, vows to defeat Genesis before being captured again.

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Zack and Cloud travel to Gongaga, Zack's hometown, to try to hide but learn from Cissnei the Shinra forces are not far behind. After defeating Hollander, who himself has started to become a Genesis clone, Zack encounters Director Lazard, now inflicted as an Angeal clone. Lazard directs Zack to the remains of Banora, noting that Genesis always carries one of the dumapples which only grow near that village. At Banora, Lazard watches over Cloud as Zack descends into a cavern exposed to the Lifestream as the result of the Shinra destruction. Inside, he encounters Genesis, who reveals that Cloud has been infused with Sephiroth cells and plans to use him to stabilize his mutation. Genesis attempts to defeat Zack by calling forth on the Lifestream to transform him into a giant beast, but Zack manages to destroy Genesis' power source. As the Lifestream leaves him, the mutation is also removed, leaving Genesis human but near death. Zack returns to the surface with Genesis, and finds that Shinra tried to attack Lazard and Cloud but Lazard was able to hold them back at the cost of his life. After Lazard dies, Zack discovers a note he carried from Aerith to Zack, and learns that he has been gone from Midgar for more than four years, and Aerith has given up hope on his return. Zack takes Cloud and makes the return to Midgar immediately. After they leave Banora, Genesis is collected by Nero the Sable and Weiss the Immaculate.

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The Turks attempt to find Zack and Cloud before the Shinra forces do, knowing that Shinra will likely kill them if captured. Unfortunately, Shinra discovers the two first on the barren terrain outside Midgar. Leaving Cloud hidden away, Zack goes off to defend his honor as a SOLDIER against a large number of Shinra troops, and is ultimately fatally wounded. Cloud manages to crawl to Zack's body after Shinra has left, and Zack, in his dying breath, bequeaths the buster sword to Cloud as Angeal did before. Cloud begins to walk back to Midgar, while Zack's body is taken to the Lifestream by Angeal.

The epilogue recreates the opening scenes of Final Fantasy VII, with the promise of the story being continued in that game.

Final Fantasy VII Main Characters

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* Zack Fair
* Genesis Rhapsodos
* Angeal Hewley
* Tseng
* Lazard
* Cissnei
* Cloud Strife
* Sephiroth
* Vincent Valentine
* Aerith Gainsborough
* Kadaj
* Tifa Lockhart
* Yuffie Kisaragi
* Barret Wallace
* Cid Highwind
* Red XIII (Nanaki)
* Cait Sith

Zack Fair

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A young man from Gongaga who would one day become one of ShinRa's strongest First Class SOLDIERs, Zack is Crisis Core's protagonist and only playable character. He works hard under his mentor Angeal to climb the ranks and achieve his dream of becoming a hero. He is known for being laid back, and a bit of a flirt, extremely kind, loyal, and having superior skills in combat. Despite this, he despises killing, and strives to protect people above all else, and despises those with no regard for life.

Genesis Rhapsodos

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An enigmatic SOLDIER First Class with an even more puzzling past. Raised as the son of the landlord of Banora, he has only recently been made aware of his connection to the Project G. Upon learning the truth, he strikes against Shinra as the leader of the Genesis Army. There is more to this movement than simply revenge, as Genesis seeks to find the answers to the mystery locked inside epic poem “Loveless.” By the time of Final Fantasy VII, all evidence of him has been destroyed and covered up with the exception of 3 brief records.

Angeal Hewley

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A respected SOLDIER First Class, a mentor to Zack, and the original owner of the Buster Sword. He comes from the small town of Banora where his best friend was Genesis. His family is extremely frugal, a trait he has inherited though he does entertain a few hobbies. He is unaware of the circumstances of his birth and their revelation causes a great deal of confusion in him and strain between him and his comrades.

Tseng

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A member (and later the head) of the Turks.He originally met Zack through a mission they were partnered together on. Over the course of the SOLDIER’s time with Shinra, they worked together several times and had a fairly good working relationship together. In a twist of fate, Tseng was in charge of cleaning up the Nibelheim incident, as well as rescuing and later hunting down Zack and Cloud.

Lazard

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The executive manager of SOLDIER at the time of Crisis Core. Though he doesn’t have any experience in combat, his concise instructions and composed demeanor has won him the respect and loyalty of his subordinates. His quick ascent to his current position has him often compared to Rufus Shinra who has made the same sort of meteoric rise. For all of his politeness and niceties though, there seems to be another side to him glimpsed through his messages to SOLDIER rife with allusions to “injustice” and “the darkness of Shinra.”

Cissnei

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An orphan prodigy who was taken in by Shinra for combat training. She is the youngest member in the history of the Turks and fights with a huge shuriken called “Rekka.” She and Zack cross paths several times, though it appears to be more than simply coincidence, and the two share an amiable friendship with hints of deeper feelings.

Final Fantasy VII Dirge of Cerberus

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The game begins with a flashback to the ending of Final Fantasy VII. As Meteor looms overhead, Yuffie and Vincent are in Midgar helping with the evacuation. Vincent tells Yuffie to check the Mako Cannon. She does so, and the device she is using finds a single person still alive there. Despite Yuffie's protests, Vincent ascends the Cannon to the firing controls to find the slumped body of Hojo. Vincent trains his triple-barreled handgun, Cerberus, on him but, just as he is about to fire, an explosion blows Hojo's body away and causes the tower to start crumbling. Vincent is narrowly rescued by Yuffie on a hovercraft, after which they rendez-vous with Cloud and the others.

Three years later, in the Waterfall Cavern, Vincent sits with his lost love Lucrecia Crescent, her body encased in Mako Crystal. She speaks to him telepathically, apologizing, though Vincent doesn't know why, claiming he is the one who should apologize. This exchange is revealed to be a brief flashback, and Vincent is actually sitting alone in a hotel room in Kalm, where a celebration is taking place to commemorate the three-year anniversary of Meteorfall. A nearby television shows a news report about a recently uncovered entrance to an unknown part of the Shinra complex deep underground, where it is rumored a force of soldiers more powerful than SOLDIER were created.

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Suddenly, an explosion in a nearby building heralds the appearance of multiple airships in the sky, each one containing a number of mysterious soldiers who drop to the ground and open fire on the civilians. Not all are killed however: people free of Geostigma are herded into carriers; those infected are attacked on sight. Vincent springs into action, making his way through the town, dispatching the mysterious soldiers and aiding civilians, to meet with Reeve Tuesti. Along the way he helps members of the World Regenesis Organization (WRO), an organization created by Reeve to help heal Gaia and protect it from further damage. At one point, Vincent is met by a small girl and a hulking man who demand of him the "Protomateria", of which Vincent knows nothing. After sending a wave of soldiers at him, the man accepts Vincent's "challenge", gives his name, Azul the Cerulean, and says that "[they] will meet again" before leaving with the girl. After this, Vincent meets up with Reeve, who asks Vincent to help the WRO in their cause, though Vincent is reluctant. Reeve gets shot from behind by one of the soldiers, but he is revealed to be a costume of sorts for Cait Sith, who plans with Vincent to launch an offensive against the attack.

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Having lost consciousness, Vincent awakens in a tube in the WRO headquarters being watched over by Shalua, who Vincent briefly mistakes for Lucrecia. After recovering fully, Vincent is given a new task by Reeve: go to the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim to find as much of Lucrecia's thesis on Chaos as possible. As well as the possibility of Vincent's Chaos form giving the WRO a fighting chance against Deepground, Shalua has a suspicion of Deepground's ultimate goal having something to do with the final WEAPON, Omega. Suddenly, WRO security is breached by Deepground soldiers led by Azul. Fighting his way through the complex and aiding WRO soldiers, Vincent finds Shalua, who sees that Vincent has been followed by the girl who was accompanying Azul earlier. After shedding her camouflage, the girl is revealed to be Shelke, Shalua's long-lost younger sister and the "reason to live" she had told Vincent of during their first meeting. Shelke reveals that she remembers being captured by Deepground, and that the Mako infusions they used to keep her in a 10-year old body (she is actually 19) are now required to keep her alive. Despite this, she still tries to complete her objective, and tries to attack Shalua. Fortunately, Reeve intervenes. Using special tranquilizer bullets, Vincent is able to best Shelke in battle and sedate her. However, upon leaving, Azul ambushes Vincent, showing that Shelke's attack was merely a foil for his own. By using nearby explosive barrels, Vincent is able to defeat Azul despite his shielding. After dealing with the problem, Vincent makes for Nibelheim to find Lucrecia's reports on Omega WEAPON and Chaos. Reeve advises him to go through the sewers, as the path above ground is crawling with Deepground soldiers.

Reaching the mansion through the sewers, Vincent is surprised to find a hologram of Lucrecia waiting for him, apologizing again. After finding the remaining data, Vincent runs into Rosso again. Preparing to battle her, Rosso instead flees and sends a spider-like mecha, the Black Widow, after him, which Vincent destroys in the mansion foyer. Preparing to leave, Rosso ambushes Vincent and plunges her hand into his chest, retrieving the Protomateria, which is revealed to be what allows Vincent to control Chaos. Without it, it is possible for Chaos to overwhelm him. Finally, Rosso makes to kill Vincent, but a sudden flash covers Vincent's rescue by a mysterious figure.