Top Secrets (Hard Mode Strategies)
Hard Mode in Final Fantasy VII Remake presents new challenges, including tougher enemies and strategic boss encounters. This guide provides specific tactics for certain chapters and enemies, focusing on character roles, materia setups, and ability usage to overcome these hurdles. Mastering character synergies and exploiting enemy weaknesses are key to success.
- Chapter 1: The Destruction of Mako Reactor 1
- Enemies: Sentry Ray, Monodrive.
- Cloud struggles to reach these enemies. Barret, specializing in ranged attacks, is essential.
- Use Barret's sustained automatic fire (hold Square) with ranged weapons.
- Barret's unique skill, Overcharge (Triangle), delivers a heavy-hitting attack that fills his ATB Gauge. Pressing Triangle repeatedly speeds up its recharge.
- Use Barret's Thunder magic to exploit the Sentry Ray's weakness.
- Chapter 14:
- Cloud takes the magnifier role, with Synergy Barret and ATB building Tifa.
- For Type-0 Behemoth, avoid using Synergy as it counters with stronger magic.
- Use parry-canceled Uppercuts with Tifa to target upper and lower torso parts. Break the horns when the Behemoth is fully down to enable magic attacks.
- Abzu:
- Use the same setup as the first fight, but with Synergy on Cloud.
- Equip Elemental + Fire (weapon) on Cloud and Tifa; Barret should also hold Fire.
- During the last phase, use Magnify Firaga with Cloud and single Firaga with Barret on the Shoats to clear them, making the fight easier while Tifa builds ATB and damages Abzu.
- Chapter 15:
- Switch between Wind, Lightning, and Fire elements for magnified Cloud and Synergy Barret, depending on the situation.
- The Valkyrie:
- Warding + Binding materia can prevent Antipersonnel Gas from causing sleep.
- First phase: straightforward damage.
- Second phase: deal damage, Wind magic and Barret are effective. It will become pressured and lower to the ground.
- Third phase (around half HP): use Barret to stun and bring down the Valkyrie. Lure the sky-drone to drop a laser on it to break its shield, then finish the fight.
- Chapter 16:
- Specimen H0512: Use Magnify + Synergy.