Look, Final Fantasy 7 is a beast. Whether you’re playing the 1997 original, the Remake, or the massive Rebirth sequel, there is just way too much stuff to keep track of. People get obsessed with the "perfect" playthrough. They want every Materia. They want the Gold Chocobo. They want to make sure Cloud doesn't look like a total dork in front of Tifa. But honestly? Most people play this game wrong because they overcomplicate the mechanics. You don't need a 500-page manual to beat Sephiroth, but you do need to understand how the game's internal logic actually functions. This Final Fantasy 7 guide is going to strip away the fluff and look at what really moves the needle when you’re staring down a Midgar Zolom or trying to figure out why your summons aren't doing any damage.
The Materia System is Brilliantly Broken
If you’re looking for a Final Fantasy 7 guide that tells you to just "level up," you’re getting bad advice. Leveling is secondary. Materia is everything. In the original game, Materia actually shifts your base stats. This is the part people miss. If you load Cloud up with Magic Materia, his HP drops. He becomes a glass cannon. You’ve basically turned your swordsman into a wizard who dies if a guard breathes on him too hard.
The real trick is the "All" Materia. It’s the most valuable thing you own early on. Not because of the combat utility—though hitting everyone with Bolt is great—but because of the resale value. A mastered All Materia sells for 1.4 million gil. That is game-breaking money. You can buy every single item in the game ten times over with that. To get there, you need to farm AP, and the best place to do that isn't Midgar. It's the Mideel area or the Sunken Gelnika later on.
Blue Materia is the Secret Sauce
Everyone loves the Red (Summon) and Green (Magic) orbs because they look cool. Kinda flashy. But the Blue (Support) Materia is where the real power lies. Pairing "Elemental" with a Fire Materia in your armor slot makes you immune to fire. That turns certain boss fights into a joke. Think about the fight against Reno or the various mechs in Shinra HQ. If you have the right elemental defense, they literally cannot hurt you. It feels like cheating, but it’s just the game’s core mechanics working in your favor.
Dealing with the Midgar Zolom
You know the giant snake in the marsh? The one that everyone tries to run past with a Chocobo? You can actually kill it pretty early if you're stubborn enough. But the real reason to engage with it is to learn "Beta." This is an Enemy Skill.
🔗 Read more: Why TI 84 calculator games are still the best way to survive math class
In any Final Fantasy 7 guide, Enemy Skill Materia is consistently ranked as the most "OP" item in the game. Beta deals massive fire damage. If you pick it up right after leaving Midgar, you will one-shot almost every random encounter for the next ten hours of gameplay. The catch is you have to survive the hit to learn it. You’ll need the "Trine" skill later from Mt. Nibel or the Pagoda in Wutai, and "Big Guard" from the Beachbugs near Costa del Sol. Honestly, a character with a fully loaded Enemy Skill Materia is more versatile than any dedicated mage.
The Remake and Rebirth Complexity Spike
Now, if you’re playing the modern trilogy, things change. It’s not just about menus anymore. It’s about the Stagger bar. If you’re just mashing the attack button, you’re going to have a bad time. You’ve got to use "Assess." I cannot stress this enough. Every single enemy has a specific pressure point. Some require you to dodge a specific move; others need you to hit them with a specific element while they’re charging.
- Cloud is your parry king. Switch to Punisher Mode and just hold block. He counters automatically.
- Tifa is the Stagger multiplier. Once an enemy is down, her "True Strike" and "Whirling Burst" drive that percentage up from 160% to 300%+. That’s how you melt bosses.
- Aerith is a turret. Don’t move her. Drop a Ward and let her blast.
The Problem with Side Quests
In Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the map is cluttered. It looks like a Ubisoft game. You see all those towers and icons and you feel like you have to do them all immediately. Don’t. It leads to massive burnout. The game is over 100 hours long if you’re a completionist. The most important things to focus on are the Protorelic quests. They actually have narrative weight and lead to the hardest (and coolest) boss in the game, Gilgamesh. The rest of the "Intel" stuff is mostly just fluff to get you crafting materials.
Don't Ignore the Backstory (The Wutai Subplot)
A lot of players skip Wutai because it’s optional in the original game. That is a massive mistake. Not only do you get Yuffie’s full character arc, but you also get access to the MP Absorb and HP Absorb Materia. Without those, the endgame becomes a slog of constantly using Ethers and Potions. Plus, the side quest where Yuffie steals all your Materia is one of the best tests of your tactical knowledge. It forces you to understand how to win without your magical crutches.
📖 Related: Most Broken Magic Cards: Why Wizards of the Coast Can’t Stop Breaking the Game
Making the Final Push
When you finally get to the Northern Cave, the game stops holding your hand. The enemies there, like the Tonberries and the Master Pots, will wreck you. Master Pots are a nightmare because they’re invincible unless you give them an Elixir. It feels counter-intuitive to give an item to an enemy, but the AP reward is astronomical.
The Ultimate Weapon and the Knights of the Round
You don't need Knights of the Round to beat the game. It’s a boring, two-minute-long animation that you’ll get sick of seeing. But if you want to take down Emerald and Ruby Weapon—the "Superbosses"—it’s almost mandatory. To get it, you have to breed a Gold Chocobo.
- Catch a Great and a Good Chocobo.
- Feed them Sylkis Greens (expensive, but worth it).
- Race them at the Gold Saucer until they are S-Rank.
- Breed them using a Carob Nut to get Green and Blue versions.
- Repeat the process until you get a Black Chocobo.
- Cross that Black Chocobo with a Wonderful Chocobo using a Zeio Nut.
It sounds like a lot. It is. But standing on that hidden island in the corner of the map and picking up the strongest summon in RPG history is a rite of passage.
What Most Guides Get Wrong About Sephiroth
Sephiroth is a puzzle, not just a wall of HP. In his final forms (Bizarro and Safer), his stats actually change based on how you played the game. If you have a level 99 party and used Knights of the Round on the previous boss, Sephiroth gets a massive HP boost. The game actually punishes you for being too powerful. The best way to handle him is to keep your party's buffs up—Regen, Haste, and Big Guard are more important than any offensive spell.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Playthrough
If you’re sitting down to play right now, here is exactly what you should do to stay ahead of the curve.
First, check your equipment for linked slots. A Materia is only as good as the one it's connected to. Always pair your primary attack magic with an "All" or "Magnify" Materia. Second, stop selling your accessories. Items like the Ribbon (which prevents all status ailments) are rare and essential for the endgame. You can find one in the Temple of the Ancients and another in the Gaea’s Cliff area.
Third, pay attention to the "Long Range" Materia. Putting a character like Cloud or Cid in the back row reduces the physical damage they take by 50%, but the Long Range Materia lets them deal 100% damage with their melee attacks anyway. It’s a free defensive buff that lasts the whole game.
Finally, don't rush the story. The heart of Final Fantasy 7 isn't just the combat; it's the weird, quiet moments in places like Cosmo Canyon or the forgotten city. Talk to the NPCs. The world-building in this game is dense, and skipping the dialogue means you're missing out on the context that makes the final confrontation actually meaningful. Get your Materia organized, keep an eye on your HP/MP swap stats, and don't forget to save your game before entering the crater. You’ve got a long road ahead of you, but with the right setup, Sephiroth doesn't stand a chance.