Summary
FF7 Rebirth’s tutorials aren’t always complete, but experimentation is part of the fun.
Settings like optimization modes can help balance visuals and performance based on personal preference.
Combo Targeting and skill shortcuts can help streamline combat and ensure smooth gameplay.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth doesn’t explain all its systems perfectly. It leaves many things open for players to explore and discover on their own. Sometimes, these things are fun to experiment with, like FF7 Rebirth’s Skill Cores and the new Folio system of progression. Other times, they seem like unintended omissions.
Playing FF7 Rebirth with a few of the right settings, skills, and shortcuts in mind can save a lot of time and frustration. However, tutorials don’t always describe these clearly enough, and it’s easy to miss some of the finer details when distracted by the bigger picture of FF7 Rebirth’s huge, open map. Here are some tips and tricks any FF7 Rebirth player should know.
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10 FF7 Rebirth Has Two Optimization Modes
Performance Vs. Graphics – Which Setting Is Best?
Like most Final Fantasy games in recent years, FF7 Rebirth can be played in two profiles that affect its visuals: Graphics mode and Performance mode. This setting is found under “Optimization” in the Options menu. Graphics prioritizes visual clarity and 4K textures over framerate, while Performance may sacrifice texture detail to maintain a steady 60 FPS. Which setting a player prefers is entirely up to them. Some like a smooth-as-butter framerate for fast-paced combat, while others prefer to see the sights of Gaia at the highest resolution possible.
For what it’s worth, the framerate is pretty steady even in Graphics mode, but those not playing FF7 Rebirth on a 4K display have less to gain from its high-def textures. Playing in Graphics mode can also help mitigate one of FF7 Rebirth’s most overblown controversies.
9 FF7 Rebirth Lets Players Select Trackers Or Minimaps
World Navigation Display & Location Navigation Display Explained
Two other interesting options, buried deep in FF7 Rebirth’s Gameplay settings menu, are World Navigation Display and Location Navigation Display. These affect navigational elements shown in the game’s HUD. By default, FF7 Rebirth uses a minimap when exploring towns, and a compass (or “tracker”) in the overworld.
This is a pretty nice balance – it’s helpful to have a minimap when navigating the winding streets of a city, but out in the open world, there are fewer obstacles, so players can just pick a direction and run. Still, those who prefer one particular option over the other can make it permanent. World Navigational Display can change the overworld HUD to a map or compass, and Location Navigation Display can change the HUD in towns.
8 Combo Targeting Helps Eliminate FF7 Rebirth’s Biggest Frustration
Free Vs. Fixed Targeting Mode
One of FF7 Rebirth’s biggest flaws is the finicky nature of its targeting system. A player might be in the middle of a tricky, Stagger-building combo against a powerful enemy, when suddenly, another monster walks by and the target automatically switches over. This targeting problem is improved, if not totally solved, by the Combo Targeting option under the Gameplay menu. This should make it easier to stay focused on a single enemy without interruption.
7 How Skill Shortcuts Work In FF7 Rebirth
Spells and abilities make up a large part of FF7 Rebirth, but navigating the command menu can be cumbersome. In order to pull off powerful moves in quick succession, it’s best to make ample use of shortcuts. Pressing L1 and any face button will activate an ability, cast a spell, or use an item: hold down L1 to see a context menu of all the shortcuts available. Pressing R1 and a face button activates a variety of Synergy Skills.
By default, each player comes with a full set of shortcuts programmed in. However, all shortcuts can be edited from the Combat Settings menu – except Synergy Skills, which are fixed. Players should set their most-used skills to these easily-accessed shortcuts – Pray for Aerith or Unbridled Strength for Tifa, for example – for a smoother experience with all of FF7 Rebirth’s playable characters.
Some melee-focused characters have options for special airbone ability shortcuts. By default, these will automatically match their on-the-ground abilities – unless the player turns off the Auto-Equip option in the Combat Settings menu.
6 Don’t Forget To Assess In FF7 Rebirth
Assessing, Reassessing, & Biological Intel Explained
Assess is a vital skill in FF7 Rebirth, the basics of which are well explained in a tutorial: equip a piece of Assess Materia to a character, use it on an enemy, and it’ll show their strengths, weaknesses, and pertinent stats. This is framed as a useful combat tool, which it certainly is – but more importantly and less obviously, Assess is a major factor in Biological Intel progression. Throughout the game, Materia expert Chadley will track how many enemy types Cloud and company have Assessed. The fuller their bestiary, the more types of Materia Chadley will develop.
Already Assessed an enemy, but need a refresher on their weakness?
Pressing the touchpad on the PS5 controller will call up the Assess menu immediately
, without expending ATB points.
It’s important to have as much Materia as possible at the party’s disposal. Materia is the cornerstone of FF7 Rebirth character builds, and the slightest change can make a massive difference. As a result, it’s best to Assess every new enemy type the party comes across, and check in with Chadley often.
5 What Are Chocobo Stops For In FF7 Rebirth?
FF7 Rebirth’s map is dotted with Chocobo Stops, which look like, well, bus stops, but for chocobos. Tutorials explain how to find them, but not what to do with them: after encountering a baby chocobo on the map and following it to the nearest Chocobo Stop, Cloud must find a fallen sign and hold down the triangle button to repair it. Once that’s done, the Chocobo Stop becomes available as both a fast travel point and a rest area.
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Unlike the blue benches, however, Chocobo Stops are uncomfortable – the party will have to use a cushion if they want to recover there. Thankfully, these consumables are readily found at general stores and in Shinra boxes throughout the world.
4 How To Use Linked Materia In FF7 Rebirth
Elemental Attacks, Defense, & Special Cases
Eagle-eyed players may have noticed that some of their equipment’s Materia slots appear to be connected by lines. These are Linked Materia slots, which are explained well in the original FF7 and in Remake, but are largely left out of the conversation in Rebirth. Combining the right Materia across two linked slots will provide additional bonuses – for example, linking an Elemental Materia with a Fire Materia will make a character’s attacks do fire damage if they’re slotted into a weapon, or give them fire damage resistance if they’re slotted into armor.
Linking an Auto-Cast Materia to any spell Materia will cause a character to cast that spell automatically when they have the proper ATB, without the need for commands. Linking Magnify Materia to a spell allows it to be cast on multiple targets. Linking an AP Up Materia to any other piece of Materia increases the rate at which it levels up. These are only a few of the many possibilities provided by Linked Materia – to understand the full range of benefits, always read an equipped Materia’s description carefully.
3 Don’t Skip Moogle Intel Missions In FF7 Rebirth
Why Moogle Medals Matter
Unfortunately, the Moogle Intel mini-game is the worst side activity in FF7 Rebirth. It requires herding hordes of unruly Moogles into small areas, an effort that’s further disrupted by the Moogles’ tricks and traps. It may be tempting to bypass these missions, but Moogle Intel unlocks Moogle Merchants. These are the only places in the game players can spend their hard-won Moogle Medals, and the more they unlock, the more items they can buy. So, no matter how unpleasant it may be, finishing as many Moogle Intel missions as possible is rewarding in the long run.
2 Affinity Matters In FF7 Rebirth
How To Check Romance Progress & Choose A Gold Saucer Date Scene
FF7 Rebirth makes it abundantly clear that it includes a relationship system, but why? There’s an opportunity for romance in FF7 Rebirth, and Cloud’s affinity with each of his party members determines who he can date. The date scenes, which take place in Chapters Eight and 12, can feature any number of party members: Aerith, Tifa, Barret, Yuffie, Red XIII, or Cait Sith, Cid, and Vincent all at once. Some of these date scenes also have unique “intimate endings,” which only appear when the character’s affinity is maxed out.
Thankfully, FF7 Rebirth makes it easier to track romance progress than the original FF7. Simply hold down L1 in the overworld to see a smiley face hovering over each party member’s head, representing how they feel about Cloud.
1 FF7 Rebirth Has Pre-Built Queen’s Blood Decks
How To Win At Cards In FF7 Rebirth
For some, Queen’s Blood is the most addictive mini-game in FF7 Rebirth. For others, it’s not their cup of tea. There’s something inherently satisfying in charging ahead on the board, capturing spaces with clever placements and leaving opponents helpless. But deckbuilding requires a kind of strategic, multifaceted strategizing that many prefer to avoid. Luckily, FF7 Rebirth lets players do just that – it includes multiple pre-made Queen’s Blood decks, each of which comes with a clear and concise guide to its strategy.
These pre-built decks can be unlocked simply by obtaining all the cards they contain, and accessed by pressing the Options button on the deck editing menu. They can be used either to learn the finer points of Queen’s Blood deckbuilding by example, or to skip the hassle altogether.
Those are a few of the most useful hidden mechanics in FF7 Rebirth, but by no means all of them. HUD elements in the corners of the screen frequently list mechanics and control schemes that aren’t immediately obvious, so it’s always a good idea to keep an eye out for useful functions there. Browsing the settings menu can also help discover new features. It’s easy to miss out on some of these hidden options, but experimenting with them can make the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth experience so much better.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the sequel to Final Fantasy 7 Remake and will see Cloud and his friends set off beyond the walls of Midgar to explore the world, stop Sephiroth’s machinations, and see the world outside their slum prison. Now that the whispers of fate no longer guide the characters along the pre-destined path set in the original PlayStation classic Final Fantasy 7, the heroes (and villains) will shape the future. The game will still visit prominent locales and revisit crucial story points, but it will be a more significant departure from the first game from the source material.
Franchise Final Fantasy 7
Released February 29, 2024
Developer(s) Square Enix Business Division 1
Genre(s) Action RPG , Adventure
Engine Unreal Engine 4
ESRB T