Final Fantasy VII has been lovingly remade for the PS4 but even though Midgar looks and feels the same how we play the game has changed. In this guide, we’re going through all the weapons and abilities for each of the four playable characters in the Final Fantasy VII Remake. With the best-recommended build for them depending on your playstyle. Since there’s only 24 of them we’ll list also list all the locations though because you won’t want to miss any of them.

Weapons are a rarity in Final Fantasy VII Remake, with only 24 in the whole game for our 4 playable characters. Instead of the more commonly used loot, upgrade and sell gambit, you can keep the same weapons for the entire game. With each weapon being able to unlock a new attack power for your party. Once you reach 100% proficiency on a weapon, you’ll unlock the ability permanently. There’s no real ‘best’ weapon of the game, but you’ll need to find which is more suited for your playstyle.

So here we have our guide for all the weapons in Final Fantasy VII Remake for Cloud Strife. Look for the rest of the cast here as well – Tifa Lockhart, Barret Wallace and Aerith Gainsborough.

 

Buster Sword

Location: Starting weapon

Proficiency: Focused Thrust – Lunge toward an enemy with a piercing strike that hits multiple times. Significantly increases stagger

Strengths: An all-rounder weapon for Cloud, with a focus on physical attack power. Overall, the Buster Sword allows Cloud to fulfil a number of different roles thanks to the wide range of stat boosts that it provides. If you want Cloud to be your front line fighter, capable of dishing out good damage while also casting magic here and there, you can’t go wrong with the Buster Sword

Recommended Materia:

• Steadfast Block

• Parry

• HP Up

• Elemental – When needed

 

Iron Blade

Location: Chapter 3 – A Job for the Neighborhood Watch – Acquired automatically while completing the story

Proficiency: Triple Slash – Slash three enemies in quick succession, dealing more damage with each blow

Strengths: Another good all-round weapon for Cloud, but with more of a focus on defence and magic. The Iron Blade is a great choice if you want Cloud to be more of a tanky character with magic support, while still dishing out decent physical damage

Recommended Materia:

• Fire, Ice, Lightning

• Heal & Revive

• Barrier

• HP Up, MP Up, Magic Up

• Parry

 

Nail Bat

Location: Chapter 8 – Kids On Patrol – Complete the side-quest found in Sectors 5 Slums (Center District)

Proficiency: Disorder – Deliver a devastating attack and switch modes in one fluid motion

Strengths: The Nail Bat transforms Cloud into a highly specialised physical fighter. It doesn’t have any magic boosting upgrades, instead focusing mostly on physical attack and critical damage. If you want Cloud to do nothing but smash his enemies into pieces, this is the weapon for you.

Recommended Materia:

• Chakra

• HP Up, Luck Up

• Deadly Dodge

• ATB Boost, ATB Stagger

• Steadfast Block

 

Hardedge

Location: Chapter 9 – To Corneo’s Mansion – Sold at the Weapon Store in the Sectors 6 Slums (Wall Market). Costs 2,000 gil

Proficiency: Infinitiy’s End – Wind up and unleash an overhead strike. Increased damage on stagger. Costs 2 ATB

Strengths: Hardedge is a physical attack weapon, but it’s not quite as specialised as the Nail Bat. It boasts several magic-based upgrades, while also providing some decent defensive perks. A great choice if you want Cloud to be a damage dealer, but don’t want him to be completely one dimensional. Surprisingly versatile depending on slotted materia.

Recommended Materia:

• Chakra

• HP Up

• Parry

• ATB Stagger

• Steadfast Block

 

Mythril Saber

Location: Chapter 14 – Sold at the Weapon Store in the Sector 6 Slums (Evergreen Park). Costs 3,000 gil

Proficiency: Blade Burst – Unleash a wave of non-elemental mako energy at an enemy in front of you with a slash of your sword

Strengths: The Mythril Saber is all about magic. Its upgrades can transform Cloud into one of the party’s primary magic users, ideally focusing on offensive magic spells since he fights at close range. But support spells are also an option given the raw magic boosts on offer. If you want Cloud to be a specialised magic user, this is the sword for you.

Recommended Materia:

• Fire, Ice, Lightning

• Healing, Barrier

• MP Up, Magic Up

 

Twin Stinger

Location: Chapter 17 – Find The Others – Found in a chest in Sector 0 – Shinra Power Company (The Drum – Level 3). In the First Ward – Training Area, this chest is extremely easy to miss because the doors will close behind you after leaving a room. The chest is will be on your left, immediately after the cutscene, before going up the stairs.

Proficiency: Counterstance – Brace for attacks and retaliate with a powerful slash

Strengths: A magic-based weapon that’s a little more balanced than the Mythril Saber. Alongside its potent magic upgrades, it boasts a few defensive perks as well as some decent physical attack augments. A solid choice if you want Cloud to remain a relatively balanced fighter, but with a knack for either dealing magical damage, or supporting the party with healing or barrier spells.

Recommended Materia:

• Fire, Ice, Lightning

• Healing, Barrier

• Magnify

• HP Absorption

• MP Up, Magic Up

• Steadfast Block

 

So there you have it all four of Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s character weapon builds. To check out the rest click here – Tifa Lockhart, Barret Wallace and Aerith Gainsborough.