This legendary RPG franchise ushered in the 3D era with Final Fantasy VII. The sprawling 1997 epic spans three PS1 discs and takes an average of about fifty hours to complete. Inside those hours are labyrinthine dungeons, a fleshed out world, daunting boss battles, and a cosmic story line. All these elements and more came together to create one of the most celebrated games of its genre. More than twenty years after release, veteran gamers are still singing its praises and younger generations are discovering the magic for themselves.
Typical to RPGs, there is a lot which can go wrong when playing the game, especially for the first time. To that effect, Screen Rant put together a list of twenty five things players commonly do wrong when going through this adventure. This list will help players out, especially if they find the game too difficult or feel as though they are missing out on content. At the end of the day, however, players should enjoy the game how they want. The only important thing is that they are having fun. If they are, then they are playing the right way. Still, people may find something of interest in these little tips and suggestions.
So get ready, because here are 25 Thing Players Didn’t Know They Were Doing Wrong In Final Fantasy VII.
Aerith Means “I earth” — Don’t Leave Her Name Aeris
One of the story’s central characters is Aerith Gainsborough. There is some confusion regarding her actual name, though, because on the name selection screen the spelling defaults to “Aeris.” Gamers who prefer to play with the default names probably went through the game with that erroneous spelling.
Truthfully, the correct spelling of her name is “Aerith.” The error comes from translating the name from Japanese to English. Aerith does make more sense than the former, considering it is an anagram for “I earth,” signifying her strong connection to the planet.
Yes, You Have To Watch Advent Children: Complete
This one is not directly involved with playing the game, but it is still important to note when wanting to get the comprehensive Final Fantasy VII experience. Advent Children is the animated sequel, released in 2005. The film is decent, but hard to follow, seemingly missing vital bits of story. In 2009, Advent Children: Complete was brought to blu-ray. This definitive addition adds almost half an hour of new content, and changes existing scenes. The extended run times makes for a more cohesive film, and a must watch for fans.
The Crystal Cave Is Missable — But Worth It
Crystal Cave appears innocuous from the outside, leading some to gloss over it. Accessible by submarine, it is located near a small body of water. Going inside reveals just how important the cave is, however. With Vincent Valentine in tow, a short cinematic will play. Leave the cave, fight ten battles, and return to trigger an additional cutscene and obtain the character’s final Limit Break, Chaos. More importantly, though, is the revelation that Vincent’s lost love, Lucrecia, is within the cave in self exile for the guilt she feels for her past mistakes.
The NPCs (Actually) Have Important Stuff To Say
Most modern RPGs provide all types of conveniences to players in order to streamline their journey, including way points, quest logs, and fast travel. This 1997 game lacks these, which can cause distress for some newer players. If one is feeling lost and alone, do not immediately turn to an online guide. Instead, chat it up with the townspeople. Most of the time, the answers on where to go can be found by talking to NPCs. They can even reveal certain secrets, or at least set players on the trail of one.
Don’t Skip Wutai If You Want The Full FF7 Experience
Not many towns are optional, but there are a select few which can be skipped over entirely. Wutai is Yuffie’s hometown, and entering with her will trigger a beefy side quest exploring her origins. There are are also several items to be found along the way, including the manual for her final Limit Break.
While it is optional, skipping over this fleshed out bonus activity will mean missing out on a vital part of the journey. Yuffie is an especially beloved character, so learning more about her is always welcome.
Yes, Most People Miss The Gold Chocobo
Chocobo have long been a staple of the franchise, and they are prominently featured in the series’ PlayStation debut. Along with the ability to ride them in the world, players also raise and breed Chocobo of their own.
This is not important at first, but it become a valuable side quest later one. There are several advanced breeds, all with different colors, with the the ultimate one being the Gold Chocobo. Obtaining it involves a complex breeding process, but is also imperative to getting the best items the game has to offer.
You Can Clone Items Using The W-Item Glitch
Even the most well-made game has glitches. It’s an unavoidable part of the medium. Given its popularity, fans have scoured high and low for exploits in FFVII. The most notable of these is the item duplication glitch, which involves using the W-Item Materia in order to clone items.
With this method, any item of which there are two can be duplicated to maximum capacity. One has to ask themselves, though, if it is ethical to do this. It is an exploit, after all, and not meant to be in the game.
Missing Knights Of The Round
Anybody who knows anything about RPGs can assume that there are hidden abilities for players to uncover. In FFVII, the most powerful summon is Knights of the Round, inspired by the legend of King Arthur and his knights. Acquiring it takes some extra work, but it is such an iconic ability that it feels essential to the game’s experience.
The ability itself is a devastating onslaught of thirteen powerful attacks. With it, the last boss is a cakewalk and most of the optional bosses are made significantly easier to fight.
Come On, Using The Automatic Health Recharge Is Cheap
When the title was brought to mobile devices and the PS4, a few modern conveniences were added to the mix. Mainly, players could speed up game time, automatically fill up their limit breaks, and recharge their health with the push of a button.
Fast forwarding is convenient, since some of the animations are ridiculously long to the point of self-parody, but refilling health with a button press feels cheap. Not only does it make the game easy, but it removes any sense of tension that comes with the risk of losing.
Don’t Get Omnislash Too Early (It’s A Huge Waste)
Grinding is a loathed, but necessary part of classic RPGs, and FFVII has its fare share of monotonous experience collecting. Players can grind for Battle Points in the Gold Saucer’s battle arena in order to get Cloud’s final Limit Break. The ability itself is a must have, but progress further into the game before saving up.
The price for Omislash is, at first, irrationally high. Once the airship becomes available, the asking price will drop to a more reasonable amount. In the meantime, go for the more modestly priced Championship Belt.
Using Knights Of The Round On Ruby Weapon
Once the ultimate summon is obtained, it will be tempting to use it on every enemy in sight, especially the super bosses. The developers were too smart to simply let players steamroll through the toughest bouts after acquiring one special Materia.
Ruby Weapon is a shining example of Knights of the Round’s futility in certain fights. Like clockwork, Ruby weapon always counters the move with Ultima. There is a strategy involving Hades’ ability to paralyze the boss coupled with the final summon, but it’s a difficult maneuver requiring precise timing.
Fighting Emerald Weapon Without The Underwater Materia
Once Emerald Weapon becomes available to fight, it lurks ominously underwater. Sometimes, the beast ambushes the player as they are leaving the Gelnika. One should not try to fight it until they have the best equipment and Materia. Even after they think they’re ready, most probably forget one very important detail - the Underwater Materia. Without this hard to find Materia, the battle will be on a timer. While it is possible to beat Emerald Weapon without it, no one wants the added stress of a countdown during such a tense encounter.
Making A Beeline To The Finish
Compact disc technology made it possible to spread the adventure over multiple discs, something that was impossible to do on a cartridge. Taking advantage of this, Final Fantasy VII is spread out over three discs. The first one contains the meatiest portion, but disc two will also take some time to complete. Disc three only has the final dungeon. Don’t make a dash towards the North Crater just yet, however, as there is plenty to do in the world that was previously locked away. For its time, the title had a beefy endgame.
Don’t Use Aerith Too Much On Disc One
Aerith, introduced to players as a lowly flower girl, is a beloved member of the roster. As such, players will probably want to use her as much as possible in battle. If anybody doesn’t know by now, it is better to use a different character in battle and level them up.
Aerith has to be used in certain segments, but do not bother wasting time training her. She leaves the party in a tragically dramatic fashion by the end of disc one, so all of that leveling up will have been in vain.
The Fort Condor Side Quest Is Worth It — Don’t Skip It!
Unexpectedly, Final Fantasy VII managed to introduce many players to the Tower Defense genre. Upon visiting Fort Condor, the player will be introduced to the conflict between Shinra and its inhabitants. The party decides to help the residents by protecting the mother condor nesting atop the Mako Reactor.
After winning the first time, it becomes possible to periodically revisit and do the mini-game again. Don’t lose, however, or else the condor will lose her egg. It’s also implied that the poor souls living there will be exterminated with extreme prejudice.
Fighting Emerald Weapon With Fully Stocked Materia
Super Bosses require super equipment; at least that’s what people like to think. The toughest encounters in FF VII often have powerful ways of countering the best equipped players. Emerald Weapon, for instance, has a move called Air Etam, which does damage based on the amount of Materia equipped. If a character has nine of the crystals on their person, the move is an instant game over. This may seem cheap, but it is a super boss, after all. When going into this battle, carefully consider which Materia is the best to use.
Linking Quadra Magic With Knights Of The Round
The Materia system is special for allowing a variety of magic possibilities. Each party member can be molded into any type of role, and players can come up with their own unique battle strategies. Once Quadra Magic and Knights of the Round are acquired, most are quick to link up the two. Unfortunately, this does not work. W-Summon still at least functions with the powerful attack, but casting it four or eight times was deemed overpowered. Also, several birthdays, presidential elections, and Olympic games would pass before the animation finished.
Not Visiting The Gelnika
If one wants to find the best equipment, beat every super boss, and make the final battle a cakewalk, it is going to take some intense grinding. Emerald and Ruby Weapon take more than just Knights of the Round to beat, but it may be hard to find a good place to train the party at such a high level. The ideal place for some training is the Gelnika, a sunken Shinra drop ship. Inside are some of the toughest regular enemies and a bonus fight with a couple of Turks.
Don’t Miss The Huge Materias
A large portion of the second disc sees the party rushing around the world in an attempt to gather the Huge Materia before Shinra gets their mits on them. While all of these events are mandatory, succeeding in acquiring the Materia is not. If the player fails at the respective mini-games in each scenario, the Huge Materia will be lost. This does not change the ending of the game, but it does lock away some useful abilities. Save before each mission in case the Materia get lost and one needs to reload.
Dungeons Are Full Of Hidden Stuff — Why Rush Through Them?
The story is magnificently crafted, and the urge to promptly find out what happens next is strong, but don’t let that hinder the enjoyment of individual moments. Take plenty of time to thoroughly explore every dungeon. Often, there are many rooms in these labyrinthine caves that contain useful items and equipment. If one simply cruises through these parts of the games without observing their surroundings, they are bound to miss these secrets. Fortunately, most dungeons can be revisited, but there are a select few that are closed off forever once completed.
