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Hard Mode Tips and Tricks
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Hard Mode Tips and Tricks

Unlock Hard Mode in final fantasy vii rebirth after beating the story. Learn tips for item restrictions, MP management, and character leveling.

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Unlock Hard Mode in final fantasy vii rebirth after beating the story. Learn tips for item restrictions, MP management, and character leveling.

Unlocking Hard Mode: Hard Mode in final fantasy vii rebirth is unlocked upon completing the main story, regardless of the difficulty you finished on. You will also unlock Chapter Selection, which is how you access Hard Mode. Within the System option in your menu, select Chapter Selection and then choose Hard Mode. Similar to FFVII Remake, you cannot use items during Hard Mode battles; you must rely on spells and abilities.

Benches with vending machines will not restore MP in Hard Mode. However, benches at Chocobo Stops, which require a Cushion item to use, will restore your MP. Aside from these restrictions, Hard Mode is a more challenging version of the standard game.

  • Complete the main story to unlock Hard Mode and Chapter Selection.
  • Ensure characters are level 70. The 'My White-Haired Angel' quest in Chapter 12 or 13 is a fast way to level up. Refer to the 'Best Way to Farm Experience' page for more details.
  • Prepare optimal Materia. Consult the 'Best Ways for Farming AP' and 'Post-Game Roadmap' pages for guidance on leveling Materia and selecting the best Materia for Hard Mode.
  • Learn all weapon abilities before starting Hard Mode.
Walkthrough
  1. 1
    Dedicated Healer: In chapters with more than three characters, utilize the sidelined character for healing. Equip HP-to-MP Materia on this character to gain thousands of MP for out-of-battle healing. Be mindful of when this character is integrated into the main party.
  2. 2
    Smash Shinra Boxes: Break Shinra Boxes found throughout areas. While they may not always yield much, some can drop an orb that regenerates MP, which can be crucial in Hard Mode.
  3. 3
    Save Often: Regularly save your game. This allows you to reload and retry challenging encounters, stubborn enemies, or battles where you've depleted MP.
  4. 4
    Utilize Reprieve: Unlock Reprieve for certain characters to survive a potentially KO-inducing hit once per battle. Tifa and Cait Sith get this in their Folios. Other characters may gain it through weapon skills (e.g., Cloud's Buster Sword, Aerith's Ceremonial Staff and Gambanteinn). If not available, increase Weapon Level by obtaining more Manuscripts.
  5. 5
    Switch Characters: Frequently switch between characters during battles. AI-controlled characters build ATB slowly, and enemies often target the player-controlled character. Switching allows you to manage ATB better and avoid focused enemy aggression.
Tips
  • Chocobo Stop benches restore MP in Hard Mode when using a Cushion.
  • HP-to-MP Materia can provide a large MP pool for a dedicated healer.
  • Breaking Shinra Boxes can sometimes yield MP regeneration orbs.
  • Reprieve allows characters to survive one fatal blow per battle.
  • Constantly switching characters is key to managing ATB and avoiding damage.

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