The summon monsters were one of the most iconic parts of Final Fantasy VII, yet the player didn't gain access to them until they reached the Chocobo Farm outside of Midgar. The fact that Final Fantasy VII Remake only covers the Midgar section of the original story meant that fans were worried that summons wouldn't make it into the game.
It's possible to acquire several of the summons from Final Fantasy VII in Final Fantasy VII Remake, as they were brought forward in the story. There are also a few new ones that weren't present in the original game. The player will receive some of the summons as part of the story in Final Fantasy VII, but the game isn't clear how to unlock many of them. There are some summons that needs to be unlocked by completing Battle Reports, so you should check out our guide on the Battle Reports if you need help unlocking any of these battles.
The Pre-Order Summons
Three of the summons were given away as pre-order bonuses for the different versions of Final Fantasy VII Remake. The player will receive them after completing the first bombing mission. The Chocobo Chick was free for all pre-orders, the people who pre-ordered the Digital Deluxe Edition will gain the Carbuncle summon, while the people who pre-ordered the Deluxe Edition, Digital Deluxe Edition, or 1st Class Editions of the game will receive the Cactuar summon.
Chocobo & Moogle
The Chocobo & Moogle Materia is found in Chapter 6. The player needs to disable the fans after shutting off the sun lamps. The Materia is found behind the fans.
Ifrit
The player is given the Ifrit Materia by Jessie in Chapter 4.
Shiva
Shiva is one of the VR encounters that Chadley can provide for Cloud and his friends. If the player beats the simulation of Shiva, then they will receive her Materia. This battle will be present when the VR Missions menu is unlocked for the first time.
The Shiva battle can be very tricky if the player attempts it straight away, as Cloud will have to face her on his own. The Ifrit summon is a huge help for this battle, as is linking the Fire Materia with the Synergy Materia, as it means that Cloud's regular attacks will deal stagger damage. As Cloud is on his own, make sure to keep his health up and have an ATB meter prepped for when she throws Diamond Dust, as this will deal a ton of damage.
Fat Chocobo
In order to unlock the Fat Chocobo VR Mission, the player needs to complete nine of Chadley's Battle Reports.
What the Fat Chocobo lacks in mobility, it makes up for in physical might. Fortunately, this leaves the creature wide open for Cloud's Punisher mode counters. The Fat Chocobo is a pure damage dealer that loves to toss physical items at the party. The player needs to watch out for the Fat Chocobo's Moogle buddy, as it can summon random enemies to the field. Take care of these minions as they appear and go straight back to piling on the damage. If Fat Chocobo uses "Kweh...", then make sure the party is fully healed, as it's about to use its powerful Kerplunk attack.
Leviathan
In order to unlock the Leviathan VR Mission, the player needs to complete Battle Report 12.
Leviathan hits hard with attacks that have a massive AOE. The Pray ability will be your best friend in this battle, as it can quickly undo the damage done by Leviathan's Tidal wave attack. Just make sure that your designated healer has full ATB bars to pull it off. When Leviathan flies, switch to Barret and use him to deal damage from afar with Overcharge and his special abilities. Once Leviathan is staggered, it will drop to the ground and become susceptible to melee attacks.
Bahamut
The player needs to complete the previous 19 battle reports to unlock the final one, which will allow them to challenge Bahamut for its Materia.
Bahamut has no weaknesses, so be prepared for the long haul with this battle. When Bahamut starts absorbing purple energy into his body, be ready to pull back, as he's about to fire off a shockwave that deals a ton of damage. He will pull a similar tactic with red energy & aura. When it flies into the air, switch to a ranged character like Aerith or Barret to keep piling on the damage. If Bahamut starts counting down from five, it means he's about to use Megaflare. Make sure you're at full health if you need to tank this hit, as it's one of the roughest attacks in the game.
The Bahamut boss fight is one of the toughest battles in Final Fantasy VII Remake, so don't be afraid to burn through elixirs or turbo ethers if necessary. Try to keep a character handy with Pray or Cure/Magnify at all times to mitigate Bahamut's high damage output.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is out now for PlayStation 4.