In this world, nothing is as it seems.  No one is who they say they are, and surprises lurk around every corner.  This is a wonderful game, with a rich story, great side quests, and great animation.  The evil Shin-Ra corporation has been mining Mako, an energy source that is the lifeforce of the Earth itself.  Avalanche is an underground resistance group headed by Barret, a man who's arm was lost in an explosion at a Mako refinery.  Cloud is a mercenary who used to work for SOLDIER, Shin-Ra's private army.  Sephiroth is a great warrior for SOLDIER, who has been lost for many years.  Now, Cloud is working with Avalanche, and Sephiroth has resurfaced, but he is now an insane, powerhungry man with a desire to use Black Materia to summon a meteor to destroy the world.  Materia are energy sources used in weapons to add skills to the user.  This game has a great story and a great battle engine, where you can customize 9 different characters with different materia.  This is a long game, but it is legendary.