Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a fresh new interpretation of the classic JRPG. Its release back in April 2020 marked the beginning of a new era of games taking place in the FFVII universe. With a broad lineup of sequels, spinoff games, and an upcoming PS5-exclusive DLC for Final Fantasy 7 Remake, fans of the game have a lot to look forward to in the future. But for those who are itching for more at this very moment, the appeal of revisiting the game via the challenging Hard Mode is very real.
The Hard Mode in Final Fantasy 7 Remake serves to sate the appetite of players who want to feel the satisfaction to truly mastering the game. This brutal mode features stronger enemies, a restriction on all items, and the removal of MP recovery at benches. Players who want to conquer this challenge will need to make certain preparations and muster up a healthy amount of perseverance. Fittingly, this article will provide seven tips for overcoming the Hard Mode of Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
7 1. Level All Characters to 50
The level cap in Final Fantasy 7 Remake is 50, and reaching that cap is the bare minimum amount of preparation that should be made for tackling Hard Mode. Some players will reach that cap during their first playthrough, but those who managed to beat the normal difficulty without doing so should get a bit of grinding in before delving too deep into Hard Mode. The chapter select feature that becomes available after initially clearing the game will be of use for revisiting areas to level up.
6 2. Make Effective Use of Cure Materia
Hard Mode does not allow the use of any items whatsoever. That means that keeping the party alive depends on surviving long enough to rest at the next bench, or relying on healing magic. If possible, players should consider equipping Cure materia to each character in the party. Even though it would be wise to choose a designated healer, it's best to be prepared for that character to fall, or to be able to cast Cure with multiple characters at once.
Another way to make the most of Cure materia is to pair it with the Magnify materia. This will enhance Cure with a party-wide effect, allowing the party's designated healer to restore all combatants from a dire situation.
5 3. Get Creative With MP Recovery
The restriction on items in Hard Mode is not just limited to HP recovery items. There is no direct way to restore MP, either. In fact, even benches neglect to restore MP in Hard Mode. The only available options are to find Mako Shards in breakable boxes (which respawn upon exiting and reloading the game), complete side quests that offer HP/MP restoration as a reward, or best of all the player can make liberal use of Aerith's Soul Drain skill during battle.
4 4. Rely on Chakra or Prayer for Healing
Because MP can become a scarce resource in Hard Mode, a prudent player might turn to the Chakra or Prayer materia as a healing option that consumes ATB instead. Players who relied on items or magic for healing throughout the first playthrough might find that they need to spend time leveling up these materia before they can be fully effective. In this case, it should be remembered that pairing any materia with the AP-Up materia will make for quicker leveling.
3 5. Learn Boss Attack Patterns and When to Guard
While the normal difficulty in Final Fantasy 7 Remake presents some challenging encounters, many players might have found that a brute force approach was sufficient in overcoming most obstacles. This is not likely to be the case in Hard Mode. With some boss enemies delivering devastating damage with their attacks, players will need to study the enemy and learn to see these deathly blows coming. Dodging is one way to avoid defeat, but guarding at the right moment or countering with Cloud's Punisher Mode is a surer path to survival and victory.
2 6. Exploit Elemental Weaknesses
In the same vein of studying the enemy, players should become familiar with the elemental weaknesses of their adversaries. Much of this information can be found in the Enemy Intel menu, unless the player neglected to make frequent use of Assess in the first playthrough. After the player becomes familiar with the weakness of their foe, they should slot the appropriate magic into their favorite caster's weapon, and attach an Elemental materia to the magic held in their favorite melee fighter's weapon. This will add that element to the character's normal attacks.
It also pays to know what element the enemy will use themselves. By attaching an Elemental materia to a character's armor while paired with that element, damage of that type will be reduced or even absorbed at higher levels.
1 7. Choose the Right Weapon for the Job
Each party member in Final Fantasy 7 Remake has access to six unique weapons. Each weapon has different attributes that become available as it is upgraded through the use of SP. While players might gravitate toward their own favorite weapons for the party, different situations might call for a different option. In order to max out the effectiveness of all weapons, the player will have to accumulate more SP by obtaining manuscripts - most of which are only available by progressing further in Hard Mode.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available now for PS4 and is scheduled to be released for PS5 in June.