You're in Gongaga. The music is incredible—all lush strings and vocal harmonies that make you want to just sit in the jungle and vibe. Then Cissnei asks for a favor. Suddenly, you aren't a world-saving mercenary; you're a glorified botanist trying to figure out if a fungus is "supple" or "firm." FF7 Rebirth mushroom picking is one of those oddly specific gameplay hurdles that sounds easy on paper but ends up being a test of your controller's haptic feedback and your own patience.
It's weirdly stressful.
Honestly, the "O, Chicken! Where Art Thou?" quest gets all the hate because of the clunky bird-pulling mechanics, but the mushroom hunting in the "Staking a Claim" quest is where the real tactile frustration lives. You have to find these giant, glowing fungi, and instead of just hitting a button to harvest them, the game forces you into a dual-stick resistance mini-game. If you mess it up, the mushroom snaps. You get a "damaged" specimen. Your perfectionist brain starts itching.
Why Does Gongaga Do This to Us?
Gongaga is already a nightmare to navigate. It’s a vertical labyrinth of giant mushrooms that act as trampolines and grinding rails that go nowhere. Adding a precision-based gathering mechanic feels like Square Enix just wanted to see how much we could take. The quest basically involves helping a vegetable seller named Magit who needs specific ingredients.
You're looking for Saltied Mushrooms. They aren't just sitting there. They're guarded by monsters, tucked behind ruins, and—this is the kicker—they require a specific "pulling" technique using the L2 and R2 triggers.
The game uses the PS5's adaptive triggers to simulate the tension of the mushroom’s stem. It’s cool tech. It's also incredibly finicky. If you pull too hard or in the wrong direction, you get a "shrivelled" or "broken" mushroom. While you can still finish the quest with subpar ingredients, any completionist worth their salt wants that "Excellent" rating from Cissnei.
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The Hidden Physics of the Pull
Most players just yank the triggers. Don't do that.
The trick is watching the vibration. When you start the harvest, Cloud grips the mushroom. You’ll see arrows on the screen indicating which way to tilt the sticks. But the visual cues are a bit of a lie. You need to feel for the "sweet spot" in the trigger resistance. If the trigger feels like it’s fighting you, back off.
It’s about the rumble.
There are three stages to the pull. First, the lean. You tilt the mushroom to check its strength. Second, the tension. This is where the triggers get stiff. Third, the snap. If you don't have the sticks angled exactly where the mushroom is weakest, it breaks. It’s basically a lock-picking minigame but with organic forest matter.
Breaking Down the Saltied Mushroom Locations
You can't just wander aimlessly. Well, you can, but you'll get lost in the undergrowth for forty minutes.
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- The first one is relatively simple, located near the cliffside. It serves as your tutorial. Pay attention to the way the controller shakes here because it only gets harder.
- The second one is tucked away near a monster den. You’ll likely have to clear out some local wildlife before you can even attempt the harvest. Trying to pick a mushroom while being pecked by a giant bird is not the move.
- The third is the real test. It’s the one that most people break. It requires a multi-directional pull that feels counter-intuitive to how Cloud is actually standing.
People get confused because the game doesn't explicitly tell you that the "health" of the mushroom determines your reward. If you bring back three perfect specimens, the dialogue changes. You get that warm, fuzzy feeling of being a "Hero of the People," even if you spent ten minutes swearing at a piece of fungus.
Is It Even Worth the Effort?
In the grand scheme of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, this quest is a blip. You get some EXP, some party affinity with Aerith (who, let’s be real, is the only reason half of us do these side chores), and some materials. But it highlights a shift in how modern RPGs handle world interaction.
Back in the 1997 original, you’d just click on a sprite. Now, we have to worry about the structural integrity of a mushroom's cellular wall. It’s immersive, sure. But it’s also a reminder that Rebirth is stuffed with these micro-mechanics.
Some players love it. They find the tactile nature of the PS5 controller adds a layer of "being there" that a simple menu-driven harvest lacks. Others—the ones who just want to get to the next boss fight—find it an unnecessary roadblock.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring the Haptics: If you have vibration turned off or down, you're playing on hard mode. The visual arrows aren't as precise as the physical feedback.
- Rushing the Trigger: The PS5 triggers are sensitive. If you slam them down, you’ll snap the stem instantly. Think of it like squeezing a sponge, not clicking a pen.
- Wrong Stick Angle: Sometimes the arrow looks like it’s pointing "Up-Right," but the sweet spot is actually more "Right" than "Up." Test the resistance before committing to the full pull.
The Perfectionist’s Burden
Let's talk about Cissnei for a second. She’s a fan favorite from Crisis Core, and seeing her in Gongaga is a huge nostalgia hit. When she evaluates your mushrooms, she doesn't hold back. If you bring her garbage, she’s polite but clearly disappointed.
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That disappointment hurts.
It’s one of the few times where the game’s "ranking" system for side quests actually feels personal. You aren't just filling a bar; you're failing a friend. This is why everyone obsessively restarts the "Staking a Claim" quest if they mess up the first harvest. You can actually save your game right before you touch the mushroom. If it breaks, just reload. It’s a bit of a "save scum" move, but honestly, in a game as big as Rebirth, you do what you have to do to keep your sanity.
Actionable Steps for a Perfect Harvest
To ensure you get the best outcome for the FF7 Rebirth mushroom picking task, follow these specific steps:
- Save your game before interacting with each mushroom. There is no "retry" button once the fungus snaps.
- Calibrate your controller. If your triggers feel loose or you have stick drift, this minigame becomes nearly impossible.
- Watch Cloud's hands, not just the UI. His physical stance often gives a better indication of the tension than the flickering arrows on the screen.
- Go slow. There is no timer. The mushroom isn't going anywhere. Ease into the trigger pull until you feel the click of the harvest.
Once you’ve turned in the three perfect specimens, you’ll receive the best possible rewards and, more importantly, the satisfaction of never having to pull a mushroom out of the ground in Gongaga ever again. Move on to the next region and prepare yourself; the minigames only get weirder from here.