The seventh installment of the Final Fantasy series takes place in a post-modern, steampunk, and science fiction world where high technology reigns and robots and bio-designed mutants coexist with humans and dragons.
The story focuses on Shinra Inc., an evil mega-corporation behind all the world's advanced technology. Shinra powers this technology using Mako energy, its patented energy source. Unfortunately, Mako is the planet's lifeblood, and by using it, Shinra gradually disrupts the natural balance.
Here is AVALANCHE, a rebel group of disadvantaged citizens who have made it their mission to oppose Shinra's ambitions. The main character is a former Shinra soldier named Cloud Strife, a troubled man with a complex past that is revealed throughout the game.
Cloud joins AVALANCHE as a mercenary, and together they face the maniacal leaders of Shinra and their army of shock troops, robots, and mutants. However, after a while, it becomes clear that other forces are at work, and Cloud must not only fight Shinra but also prevent a powerful man from his past from destroying the world.
Like its predecessors, Final Fantasy VII is a Japanese-style role-playing game, featuring turn-based combat with a real-time component (ATB, "active battle") against randomly appearing enemies. The game's customization is based on a "Materia" system.
Instead of saving a character's spells, abilities, and bonus stats, they are stored in Materia orbs, allowing the player to modify a character's spells and abilities at any time from the equipment menu.
Materia orbs can be purchased in stores or found during exploration. Summoned monsters, a series feature, are also contained in specific Materia. In addition to experience points, characters also receive ability points that gradually enhance the abilities of equipped Materia.
Each character also has a set of unique attacks called "Break Limits." By taking enough damage without dying, the character fills their limit gauge, which can be used to launch an attack that deals significant damage once filled.
Stronger Break Limits are unlocked progressively as the previous ones are used, and obtaining the most powerful Break Limit for each character requires completing side quests.
The game uses 3D character models and pre-rendered backgrounds with different camera angles for exploring cities and hostile areas.
Navigation on the world map and combat screens are entirely in 3D. CGI movies are frequently used as cinematics to advance the story.
The game offers many mini-games (most of them optional) and numerous ways to explore the universe, as the player gradually acquires various vehicles allowing them to venture into previously inaccessible places.
