Final Fantasy VII has a very intricate story line. It starts in Midgar, when Cloud, the main character, joins a resistance group called AVALANCHE, led by Barret. At first he is helping for the money, but he meets Tifa, a friend from his childhood and gets much more involved. They meet Aeris, the last Ancient alive. Aeris is captured by Shinra Inc., which AVALANCHE was rebelling against, and they go to the Shinra Head-Quarters building. There, they rescue Aeris and meet Red XIII, or Nanaki. Cloud also finds out that his mortal enemy Sephiroth, who he had thought to be killed 5 years before, was still alive. They leave Midgar, and go to Junon, where Rufus, the new president of Shinra, Inc. is inaugurated.
They go across the sea as stowaways on a Shinra ship, aboard which they fight Jenova, the supposed mother of Sephiroth. On the western continent, they go to Corel, Barret's home town. Barret remembers a lot of sad things from his past and is very depressed. They go to the Gold Saucer, which is a casino and amusement park. There they meet Cait Sith. When they go to the Arena, everyone has been shot by Barret, and all of them get sent to the desert jail. When they get out, they go to Cosmo Canyon, where Red XIII is from. They meet Bugenhagen, Nanaki's grandfather. (He doesn't join them, but he is very knowledgeable and helps them a lot later. Next, they go to Nibelheim, the birthplace of Cloud and Tifa. Ironically, it still existed and all of the people knew nothing of what really happened. Cloud knew it was destroyed 5 years before.
After they go through Mt. Nibel, they go to Rocket town, where they meet Cid. They get a plane, the Tiny Bronco, but it breaks down so they use it as a boat. Next, they go to the Temple of the Ancients, where they meet Sephiroth and Aeris disappear. Sephiroth gets the Black materia, which can destroy the world. They go to the Sleeping Forest and the Forgotten Capital to look for Aeris. They find her, praying, but as Cloud is coming to her Sephiroth jumps from above and sticks his sword through her back. Once again, they have to fight Jenova.