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User Rating: 9.6 | Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children PSP
Two years after the fateful events of Final Fantasy VII, the world has been recovering from the injuries Sephiroth had caused. Shin-Ra Company had felt obliged to help the Planet return to normal for allowing it to enter an agonizing state. Shin-Ra's first step to a reconstruction of the world led them to investigate any aftermath left in the Northern Crater. While the Crater seemed devoid and abandoned, one thing still remained. The lingering thoughts of Sephiroth still flooded the Northern Crater. From the disturbance of Shin-Ra's Investigation, the thoughts formed into three bodies, creating the Silver Haired Brothers: Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz, to threaten the Planet. Kadaj, the leader of the three brothers, comes with the same intents of Sephiroth, to find Jenova, restart the Reunion, and to take ultimate revenge on the Planet.

Not only was the Planet threatened by the Silver Haired Brothers, Geostigma (also known as Star Scar Syndrome), has been unleashed, a decease caused by Jenova cells that penetrated through the Lifestream. The non-contagious illness brings tremendous pain or death, devastating the lives of many, especially children. Cloud, now living alone and isolated, had started his own postal business: Strife Delivery Service. Joining with Tifa's bar, 7th Heaven, Strife Delivery Service helps care for orphaned children carrying Geostigma Syndrome. Marlene helps caring for one of the orphans, Denzel, who you see having the Geostigma mark on his forehead. Cloud houses these orphaned children in Aeris' church at the slums, also living there himself. Yet an unexpected phone call from Shin-Ra Turk Reno had brought Cloud to Healin Lodge to talk to President Rufus. Rufus, alive yet wheelchaired and covered with a sheet to hide his Geostigma, offers Cloud a job as his bodyguard to protect him from the three Silver Haired Brothers. This evokes feelings of Cloud's mistakes and sins, believing that he is unable to save anyone. Cloud's emotional state destroys any hope that is left in him. Also causing him heartache, Cloud has been inflicted with Geostigma Syndrome, not only giving him physical pain, but it also recalls memories of his past. Cloud hides the Geostigma mark underneath his sleeve.

At the church in the slums, Tifa and Marlene wait for Cloud's return from speaking with Shin-Ra. During this, one of the three Silver Haired Brothers, Loz, comes in search of his "Mother". Engaging in combat, Tifa is defeated by Loz, and he takes Marlene away, along with a chest filled with Cloud's materia. As Cloud returns, he learns from the Turks, Reno and Rude, that the orphans 7th Heaven and Strife Delivery Service took care of were taken away by Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz to the Forgotten Capital, including Denzel. From a little convincing and encouraging by Tifa, Cloud sets out to find the children, but ultimately to seek forgiveness of his past mistakes.

At the Ancient City, Kadaj deceives the Geostigma stricken orphans, telling him he will cure their decease, and convinces them, even Denzel, to drink from the Ancient Lake which he mysteriously poisoned. The black water had made the children turn against Cloud, controlled by Kadaj.

As Cloud entered the City of the Ancients, he entered a vision of Aeris. Telling her he wanted forgiveness for letting her die, Aeris has never held anything against Cloud. Coming out of the dream, Cloud finds himself being surrounded by the now controlled children. Kadaj, ready to dispose Cloud, gets distracted by Marlene, and Cloud and the Three Silver Haired Brothers engage in combat. Cloud, being almost defeated, was rescued by Vincent and they escape to the woods.

In the forest, Vincent tells Cloud he has been watching Kadaj and his gang, getting information about their intentions. He also tells Cloud he was able to rescue Tseng and Elena from the Shin-Ra Investigation at the Northern Crater. Tseng and Elena were severely tortured as a result of obtaining part of Jenova. Vincent also suspects that the Silver Haired Brothers could recreate another Sephiroth. Soon after, Cloud is reunited with Marlene who escaped the three brothers, and they both return back to Midgar.

In Midgar, Loz and Yazoo control the Geostigma infected children who stand circling a monument of Meteor made by Shin-Ra. As the people of the city curse the two brothers, Yazoo unleashes mysterious shadow monsters to silence the crowd of people. The horrified Tifa runs through the chaotic crowd to find the brainwashed Denzel standing alongside the children. Meanwhile, Yazoo and Loz try to break the monument, believing it is where Jenova is stored. Disturbing their strategy, Reno and Rude walk in to find themselves attacking both Yazoo and Loz.

In the distance inside one of the Midgar buildings, President Rufus is there with Kadaj. Kadaj explains that once they receive the proper Jenova cells, Sephiroth will return. Using one of Cloud's stolen materia, Kadaj summons to the city Bahamut Sin. Allowing Bahamut Sin to break the Shin-Ra monument, Yazoo and Loz run after Reno and Rude, who are trying to save the brainwashed children before Bahamut's attack. The impact of Bahamut's attack causes most of the people, including Reno and Rude to stumble and fall. As Yazoo and Loz approach them, the Turks immediately spring to their feet and engage in combat against the two brothers. As Bahamut Sin finds that Jenova is not inside the monument, Tifa and Denzel lie on the ground, shaken by Bahamut's attack. Denzel awakens, returning from his brainwashed state. He notices Tifa was hurt by the attack and out of anger rushes towards Bahamut Sin. As Bahamut was ready to attack Denzel, an old friend, Barret, returns and protects Denzel with his gunarm. Right after, Red XIII, carrying Cait Sith on his back, rushes into the scene, along with Yuffie, Cid and Vincent, who have been carried to Midgar on Cid's new model aircraft: Sierra. Cloud comes, telling Tifa he had left Marlene at the bar, and Denzel runs back to 7th Heaven to join her. Cloud explains to Tifa that he believes his burdens of his past have lightened from dragging them around so much. Believing this, Cloud has the courage to fight, and he and Tifa ride to Bahamut Sin to defeat it along with the others.

As the group tries to defeat it, Bahamut flies upward to escape the numerous attacks made on him. Cloud, with a little help from his friends, flies upward after Bahamut, who launches a giant attack on the city. Before the attack is successful, Cloud breaks through it, and with some help from Aeris, defeats Bahamut and saves Midgar. Back at the building where Kadaj and the President are, the President stands up from the wheelchair, loosing the sheet that covered his face and Geostigma, and holding no other than Jenova in his hand. Rufus throws Jenova out of the building and doing so upsets Kadaj. Angered, Kadaj attacks the President with materia magic, knocking the President off his feet and out of the building. While falling, Rufus pulls out his signature shotgun he used in Final Fantasy VII, firing at Kadaj. Kadaj, determined to save Jenova from the fall, jumps out of the building. With both the President and Kadaj falling, Rufus aims and shoots at the Jenova box, breaking the side. Before the President hit the ground, Tseng and Elena return, shoot a net out of each of their guns, catching the President. Kadaj grabs a hold of the Jenova box, survives the fall intact, and makes a run for it before Cloud returns.

The three Silver Haired Brothers mount on their bikes while Cloud rides after them. As Kadaj tries escaping, Cloud battles Yazoo and Loz on the highway, who tries to rid of Cloud. On the other side of the highway waits Reno and Rude, who have set explosives in the surrounding area to rid of the Silver Haired Brothers. While Kadaj and Cloud escape the bombs, Yazoo and Loz fall victim to the explosion. Kadaj and Cloud reach the end of the highway, plummeting into the destroyed section of Midgar. Kadaj makes his escape to the church, finding that Jenova has been damaged from Rufus' attack and Cloud. Cloud, noticing his sleeve has been torn, rips the remainder of the sleeve off, revealing his Geostigma stricken arm. As Cloud rides into the church, Kadaj attacks him with materia magic, and before Kadaj can attack and dispose of Cloud, water from Aeris bursts out of the ground of the church, swirling upward and creating rain, healing Cloud's Geostigma. Unable to handle the water, Kadaj rides out of the church. Cloud chases Kadaj in front of the abandoned ruins of the Shin-Ra building. As they begin to fight, The Sierra flies over them, carrying the ones who fought Sephiroth two years ago. They agree to let Cloud fight this battle alone, knowing that Kadaj one day may turn into Sephiroth himself. From Cloud's attack, Kadaj was knocked backwards, holding on with one hand to the building. Cloud knocks the Jenova box out of Kadaj's hand, accidentally opening the Jenova box, and Kadaj goes leaping towards it. As Kadaj grabs it, the Jenova inside the box enters inside his body.

As Kadaj falls and lands on the ground, Cloud jumps after him. When Cloud attacks Kadaj with his sword, his attacked is stopped by Kadaj, who has now been transformed into no other than Sephiroth. Sephiroth returns with the desire to use the thoughts of those who died from Geostigma to devour the Planet and use it to travel the universe just as Jenova traveled space over two-thousand years ago. As Sephiroth calls darkness to flood the skies and come down to the world, Cloud leaps at him and both begin to fight once more.

The battle lasts long, tiring Cloud greatly. Cloud finds himself unable to fight, leaving him vulnerable to attack. Sephiroth, with the upper hand attacks Cloud, stabbing him in the shoulder. When Sephiroth threatens to take away the most important thing to Cloud, Cloud pulls the blade out of his shoulder, saying there is nothing that isn't important to him. Cloud's strength is regained, and attacks Sephiroth with everything he has. After Cloud's fierce attack, Sephiroth becomes the One Winged Angel, growing a black wing from his body. Sephiroth claims he will not just be a memory, and fades away, leaving Kadaj behind. The darkness that Sephiroth had summoned was lifted.

Kadaj is greatly weakened by the Jenova that fell inside his body. Unable to fight, he stumbles into Cloud's arms. A voice is heard speaking to Kadaj and it beings to rain like it did at the church in Midgar. Aeris tells Kadaj to return to where everyone is. Kadaj, accepting this, reaches his arm up, touching the rain, and fades. The rain which fell inside the church falls on Midgar, curing each person, including the President from the Geostigma, and the orphans are set free of the Silver Haired Brother's control. As everyone in the Sierra cheers, Cloud's victory is disturbed from a gunshot penetrating Cloud's body. Cloud turns around only to find that Yazoo and Loz have survived the explosion by the Turks, and are now slowly dying from an excessive amount of materia they have put in their bodies. Cloud returns to his feet, and attacks the two remaining brothers. From the amount of materia inside Loz and Yazoo, it creates a giant explosion, killing all three of them.

Cloud now floating through the Lifestream, Aeris knows Cloud doesn't belong there, and sends him back through the water that now floods the church. Cloud returns alive, seeing that all the orphans have been healed, except Denzel. Cloud brings Denzel into the water and he is cured of Geostigma. As all the children rejoice, along with those who fought along with him two years ago, Aeris and Zack are seen in the doorway of the church, smiling at Cloud, telling him that he is alright. Cloud realizes he is not alone, and that he is forgiven.