Final Fantasy VII Remake: Important advice and tips on how to beat the Hard Mode

One of the most asked questions in the gaming world in recent weeks is how to beat the Hard Mode in the Final Fantasy VII Remake. In this guide, we will provide you with essential information and advice on how to do it.

Final Fantasy VII Remake can be a bit tricky for most gamers, and it gets even trickier when it comes to the Hard Mode. Some battles are extremely tough, and if you are not prepared enough, you are always going to hit the brick walls. Here are some tips to prepare yourself before diving into the Hard Mode.

Use the character switching feature to the maximum

If you have already done it at the normal level, then you must already have an idea of how crucial switching the characters is, and on Hard Mode, the need for the same is even more.

The enemies on the game tend to target the character you are controlling, and this makes character switching more than necessary. By doing so, you divide the attention of the foes, which increases your chances of winning the game.

Having several enemies gang up on one player, especially on Hard Mode, is inviting an easy defeat. 

Build Active Time Battle (ATB) with the current character, then execute command and switch. Repeat the same with your next character. Keep doing so and increase your chances of using high-level magic and powerful ability, without fearing that you will be attacked by a foe the next second.

The bottom line, you should never control a character in the game for more than three commands, assuming that you are fighting with at least two party members.

Get more healers

Most people tend to have one healer in a lot of RPGs, but in the Final Fantasy VII Remake, you might want to split the bill, especially on Hard Mode. There is no way of restoring MP outside the battle, and taking a lot of damage in a single fight can be a recipe for disaster.

Equipping everyone with Healing materia is the right thing to do, not just leaving the job to Cloud or Aerith. Having everyone have Cura ready can be handy during tough battles, and it can keep you kicking when everything seems lost.

However, it is still best to still rely on a specific character for primary healing. That’s where Magnify materia comes in. With it, you can heal everyone at once, which is vital in Hard Mode. Ensure to give it to your best healer and let the others focus on individual healing spells. 

Always heal as soon as you can

This seems quite obvious, but most people tend to forget to heal their players sooner rather than later. On Hard Mode, if your character display turns red, it most probably means that any knock from the enemy will knock you down, and you may not even have enough time to change the situation with a healing spell. 

On Hard Mode, enemies, especially the bosses, can cause massive damage to your character, so you should be topping up the character as soon as he is at least 50% with abilities or magic. Some bosses can even wipe you out if you are sitting with anything less than 50%. Healing your character should always be the top priority if you have ATB to spare.

Always exploit weaknesses

All your enemies have some weaknesses, and they have them for a reason, so you should exploit those weaknesses more so on Hard Mode. In normal mode, you can get through without being keen on your enemies’ weaknesses, but it is almost impossible on Hard Mode. If you know your enemies’ weaknesses, use it to knock them down. 

However, MP on Hard Mode is an invaluable resource, and casting powerful spells can drain it much faster. With that in mind, you might want to stick to medium spells and low-level spells so as to pressure your foes as well as preserving your MP.

Generally speaking, it’s ideal to save your best for the last where high level spells like Firaga and Thundaga for dealing big damage, as opposed to exploiting weaknesses.

Do your best on Steadfast Block

Steadfast Block is one of the most useful materia on the game. It helps you make your best defensive moves and enables you to lessen the incoming damage, even from spells. What’s more, by blocking attacks, you increase your ATB bar, and on Hard Mode, having a steady ATB supply is paramount.

Note your pressure moves

By dealing sufficient damage to an enemy, or strike its weakness, and you might put them in a “pressured” state. When pressured, an enemy will be rendered defenceless for a short period of time, and your attacks will deal more stagger damage than usual. 

If you have knocked out your enemy, then you need to take advantage of that situation. You can easily stagger your enemies if you have stored up enough ATB as you can fire off multiple stagger-based attacks at the same time.

Cloud’s Focused Thrust ability is excellent for building stagger; you might want to consider using it or use Barret’s Focused Shot ability as well. 

HP Up is paramount on Final Fantasy VII Remake

You can build your party the way you want, but there are some materia that we think are more invaluable in Hard Mode, and the most important of all is the HP Up. You should have it slotted on every party member. When at maximum materia, it gives your characters a health boost, which makes them harder to kill.

It is not just about making your characters tougher to kill; though, it is mostly about survival. Some enemy bosses are capable of wiping your party out in a single attack if you don’t have enough HP. Using HP Up increases it, which gives you a chance to go all the way and win the game.