The Final Fantasy VII Remake has generated plenty of buzz since its full-length trailer premiered at E3. With all of that buzz came people rushing to download the remaster on PlayStation 4, racking up trophies like it was their job. However, with trophies comes the promise of a rough journey ahead, and FFVII is pretty well-known for having some memorable map points.
Not every location on the world map is worthy of earning the title of a 'challenging' play through, but many of them have thrown some serious curveballs. When it comes to turn-based combat, a player's moves must be precise, well-thought-out, and strategic. Here are some areas that gave our gamer hearts a bit of thrill, to say the least.
10 Shinra Headquarters
We're not saying that Shinra Headquarters is challenging due to its gameplay. What we are saying, is that it's a major pain in the you-know-what due to its unnecessary cardio.
With 70 floors to work your way up, this tower can be a bit of a nuisance, especially when everything looks the same. This level also comes with its own set of puzzles, something unique to RPGs and this one, specific to Shinra. It wasn't hard, but it definitely wasn't one of our favorites.
9 Materia Cave
In the Gongaga area, players will inevitably find a Materia Cave. There's also one in North Corel, the Mideel Area, and Wutai. All in all, there are four scattered around the map and while this ranks low on its difficulty rating, they can still be a bit of hassle.
There are many forms of materia to find in these areas, all worth getting. They can be found with a guide, but between random encounters and a basic directional display, it can take some time.
8 Gaea's Cliff
First of all, Gaea's Cliff can't be revisited. Therefore, on the first playthrough, players will quickly realize that their ascent to the top of this icy rock isn't going to be a piece of cake.
While climbing, you must remain vigilant about keeping your core body temperature up. To add a level of difficulty, this can only be done when Cloud has a rest at one of the many platforms on the way up. This area was far more difficult in the version of the game released in Japan as opposed to the US version.
7 Shinra Manor
Just outside of Nibelheim's center, players can find Shinra Manor. This is where a huge part of the backstory takes place and at this point, players should be able to start piecing together what really went on.
Sephiroth also becomes much more prevalent at this point in the game, although this is not where the challenge lies. Shinra Manor is where players can acquire Vincent as a part member, thus starting the side quest to recruit him. The Manor is completely optional; however, Vincent provides powerful limit breaks and his side quest is fun, albeit a bit tedious.
6 Gold Saucer
Many might be thinking, 'how on earth could the Gold Saucer be a challenging area?' And the only reason we've added it to the list is because many players complain about the difficulty of the mini-games, which are required play for some choice items.
In fact, many of these mini-games could be considered harder than some of the bosses in the main game. They're fun, but seemingly insurmountable at times.
5 Temple Of The Ancients
Temple of the Ancients, just like many other areas, is a bit of a pain to get through. As is typical with FFVII, players are required to pass a certain number of trials in order to unlock and proceed with the main story of the game.
This area, in particular, requires a bit of back and forth on the player's part to complete. Between falling boulders, maze-like paths, and the addition of a clock for guidance, this area is one of the most frustrating in the game for some.
4 Mt. Nibel
Mt. Nibel ranks a bit higher just because it does encompass so many explorable areas. With these areas come random encounters along with items that are worthy of obtaining, which increases the amount of time a player spends there.
Additionally, this area is full of Kyuvilduns, Sonic Speeds, Zuus, Twin Brains, Screamers, Dragons, and, of course, the Materia Keeper as the final area boss.
3 Sunken Gelnika
Sunken Gelnika is an optional location in the game but it's worth it to obtain some of the best items you can get. This area also holds some of the toughest bosses, so it's best to either avoid them or prepare to face off. Finding the Gelnika is a bit of a challenge in itself; players must first obtain the submarine before even diving to begin their search.
This means the Junon Underwater Reactor must come first chronological and at this point, you should be leveled up enough to take on marine bosses... hopefully.
2 North Crater
The North Crater is part of Gaea's Cliffs, something players might not realize initially. This later-game area leads Cloud and his party to the Whirlwind Maze, where players encounter clones of Sephiroth shortly after.
Wherever Sephiroth is, Jenova is not far behind, so it's no surprise that Jenova:DEATH is your first boss fight here. One of the harder boss fights, it's a challenge for a reason - afterward, Cloud acquires the famed Black Materia just before one of the biggest twists of the story.
1 The Great Glacier
We could easily say that the entire North Continent is a pain, but the Great Glacier had us frustrated all on its own. There are six quests in this area alone, not too many items worth noting, and plenty of enemies to make up for it all.
Additionally, many players needed the game guide in order to navigate this icy wasteland, as the game's retro, 2D-graphics made things that much more of a challenge. With so many locations, including the base of Gaea's Cliff, navigation and random encounters sets this area apart from the rest.