Nibelheim Flashback: Walkthrough

Zack's Interlude: You'll start by playing as Zack. Don't worry about exploring; just head straight for the stairs and follow the path through the building. Keep running along the trail, jumping over debris, until you reach the downed helicopter.

First Fight: Shinra soldiers will appear. If you've played Remake, Zack's combat will feel familiar. Use the Square button for normal attacks and combos. The Triangle button is for Combo Charge, but you'll need to fill the gauge in the bottom left first. Since you can't actually get a game over here, just keep attacking the soldiers until they're defeated. More will arrive, so repeat the process. After clearing them all out, more cutscenes will play, ending Zack's segment.

Flashback Begins - Cloud's Journey: The flashback proper starts with Cloud in a truck, traveling with Sephiroth and other Shinra soldiers. The truck will stop, and you'll need to fight a monster while controlling Sephiroth. Don't stress too much about the mechanics here; just use normal attacks to defeat the Disgorgon.

Arriving in Nibelheim: After the battle and some more scenes, you'll regain control as Cloud in Nibelheim. You'll get a quick tutorial, and then you're free to explore.

The Inn: Head to the inn first. Go inside and approach the man with his back turned. This is Zangan, Tifa's martial arts instructor. After some dialogue, exit the inn.

The Water Tower: In the center of the square, you'll see a water tower. Find the ladder on its side and climb to the top for a scene.

Cloud's Home: To the east of the water tower, further north, is Cloud's mother's house. Go inside when prompted for more scenes.

Tifa's Home: The house south of Cloud's mom's place is Tifa's home. You can inspect the cat's dish in the kitchen for some dialogue. Head upstairs; in one room, you'll find a chest containing an Ether. Tifa's own room has two things to examine: the cupboard (select "Yes" for amusing dialogue) and the piano. While you can interact with the piano, it doesn't do anything significant in the full game, unlike in the demo where a Music Sheet was present.

Exploring the Town: Exit Tifa's house and head towards the southern side of town. Look over a small fence to find a chest with a Mega-Potion. In the northwestern corner of town, there's another chest, also containing a Mega-Potion.

Returning to the Inn: Once you're done exploring, head back to the inn. Push through the crowds gathered to see Sephiroth and go upstairs. You'll find Sephiroth by the window, reminiscing. This leads to more scenes where you learn that Tifa will be your guide to the reactor.