Gaming

7 tips when playing Final Fantasy VII Remake

Mostly surrounding combat

Published

April 9, 2020

You’ve preloaded, have snacks on hand, and are now ready to head to Midgar. Before you do, here are some tips that might be helpful in your Final Fantasy VII Remake (FF7R) journey.

Before we jump in, here’s a mandatory spoiler warning. While I won’t discuss anything story-specific here, some things might hint on stuff that maybe you want to find out for yourself.

Feel free to come back here in case you’re feeling a little lost in combat.

1. Mix up blocking, running, and dodging

I’ve been pretty anxious and angry lately which is why my initial approach when I started was to charge in and just unleash a flurry of melee attacks. While this works for some random encounters, you’ll find that it’s not effective at all for half the battles you’ll be in.

Some enemies will deal massive damage if you don’t guard or run and dodge. Yes, you need to run AND dodge. Dodging alone isn’t effective especially against the monster-types with field of area attacks. To minimize the scratches you take, you have to keep moving.

Blocking physical attacks at the last second also helps decrease damage. If you choose to do so, there’s a bit of side quest where the rewards build on blocking abilities. A lot of these really come in handy even during boss battles.

2. Switch characters during battle

I had the tendency to stick with either Cloud and Tifa too much because their attacks are really fun to look at. I especially like Tifa’s speed and combos. But you’ll soon learn that switching characters is a necessary skill.

I didn’t try this as much until I was midway through the game, but I encourage you to get used to it as soon as possible. For one, whichever character you control fills-up their ATB meter faster, so switching up frequently means faster access to abilities, spells, and items.

The enemies will also frequently target whoever you’re controlling. If you’re too bullish about controlling just one character, you might end up having to use a Phoenix Down sooner than you’d hope.

3. Max as many materia as you can

I really like the materia system because it gives you flexibility on the loadouts you have no matter who you have on your party. Which is why you should level up as many of these as you can.

Levelling up a materia doesn’t involve having to use them frequently. Just make sure they are equipped with active party members.

If you want to prioritize, definitely try to max Fire, Ice, and Light materia right away. A lot of the enemies you’ll face will have one of the three as their weakness.

4. Give everyone a healing materia

You’ll pick up at least two of these right away early on in the game. If you have Gil to spare, make sure you get at least one more.

You would want to have the Cure spell on every party member. Some bosses and mini bosses have these absurd attacks that deal heavy damage. If one of your members is low on HP, they could be taken out with one hit.

With cure equipped on every member, you can save yourself a lot of trouble by healing characters right away, especially when their health bar turns yellow.

Bonus: Aerith has a Pray ability that heals all party members. You don’t spend MP but it costs two ATB gauges. You can opt to equip her with ATB boosts materia to speed-up the ATB fill-up.

5. Don’t push the Side Missions aside

Especially the ones that come during the first half of the game. The side missions have a bit of a story in them and fleshes out some characters more. A lot of them also teach you more about the mechanics of the game.

Other than that you’ll also encounter key missions like the one with Materia researcher and developer Chadley. He even has his own Battle Intel option in the menu screen so you can track your progress.

Each task from Chadley corresponds to the development of different materia. Some pretty useful ones are the Dodge Attack, Counter after Blocking, ATB Boosts, and many others.

Some summons are also only attainable through VR Battles via Chadley’s research.

6. Learn new abilities from weapons right away

Every weapon for every character comes with a new ability. To be able to use them even when you switch weapons, you have to reach 100% proficiency. To get there, you have to keep using that particular ability in battle.

The fastest way to do it is by: First, assigning that character as the party leader. This way, you take control of the character as the battle starts. This means your ATB will fill-up faster the more you attack.

Second, equip the character with any ATB boost materia. Even just the first basic ATB boost will do. The faster you fill-up your ATB gauge, the more chances you’ll have to use the ability in battle. The more you use it, the faster your character will learn it and carry it over to the next weapon.

7. Time your ATB-use properly

If you take damage while trying to perform an ability, cast a spell, or use an item, the action will be canceled out but it will still consume ATB. Which is why timing is key.

Certain abilities take time to wind-up so make sure you’re using them when an opponent is in range and is not halfway through launching an attack on you.

Same is true when casting spells and using items. When you’re trying to heal or revive a party member, be sure to create some distance between you and the enemy first so the action isn’t interrupted.

Bonus: Don’t get lost in Tifa’s eyes.

I totally failed here. 😅

There are plenty more I can share, but these are the ones that stuck out to me as I was going through the second half of the game. Most of these I wish I knew right away. Hopefully this helps you have a smoother first playthrough. Enjoy!

Gaming

CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- REUNION physical edition now available for Switch 2

Zack Fair’s story comes to Switch 2.

Published

September 24, 2026

GadgetMatch

Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia and SQUARE ENIX have released the physical edition of CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- REUNION for Nintendo Switch 2 in Southeast Asia.

Players can also purchase the game digitally on the platform. Availability may vary by region and retailer.

Zack Fair’s story returns

Set in the mako-powered metropolis of Midgar, CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- REUNION follows Zack Fair, a young operative in Shinra’s elite SOLDIER unit.

Zack investigates the mysterious disappearance of SOLDIER operatives alongside his mentor, Angeal, and the legendary Sephiroth. His journey reveals the events that shaped the world of FINAL FANTASY VII and his connection to Cloud Strife.

The game revisits Zack’s story with an HD graphical overhaul of its character models, user interface, and environments. It also features fully voiced dialogue in English and Japanese, alongside an updated action-combat system.

Players can trigger Limit Breaks and Summons as they battle their way through the story. The game also supports handheld and docked play on Nintendo Switch 2.

A look back at Zack’s legacy

Originally released as a remaster of the PSP classic, CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- REUNION offers a refreshed take on one of the franchise’s most significant prequel stories.

In our GadgetMatch review, we explored how the remaster brings Zack Fair’s journey to modern platforms while preserving the emotional core of his story.

The release also gives players another way to experience the events leading into FINAL FANTASY VII, ahead of the upcoming FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION, the third and final entry in the FINAL FANTASY VII Remake series.

For more information about CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- REUNION and other Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia titles, visit the official website.

Gaming

Dune: Awakening makes it way to the PS5 and Xbox Series X

Surviving the harsh land of Arrakis one sandstorm and bloodlust at a time

Published

September 22, 2026

Gab Orlina

Back in June of 2025, Funcom released its multi-nominated open world survival game, Dune: Awakening. Inspired by the renowned movie franchise, the game takes place within the deserts of Arrakis as players survive and thrive through intense combat and strategic decision making. Now, in the big 2026, Funcom is finally bringing that experience to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S players as Dune: Awakening officially launches on console!

For the newbies finally getting it on console, here’s all you need to know:

Take the lead or do it together

Dune: Awakening takes you into the desolate land of Arrakis, and gives you the option to do it on Single Player or Multiplayer upfront. Through your own bidding in strategy, combat, and resource management, your goals are simple: survive the terrain, make more allies than enemies, and conquer the land through your affiliation to the powers that be.

This version of the game is as exact and as one-to-one as it possibly could with the PC version released last year, down to the story arcs, quests, and PvE/PvP areas you take on. Since launch, Funcom has introduced new weapons, areas, and cosmetics through DLCs that will be available to console players, as well. Also, several key features in story and mission progression that have changed on the PC version will take into effect.

If you want to engage with multiplayer, it is still a viable option when you want to gather more resources and reinforce your bases against other players and the natural elements. However, you still won’t be able to host your own server on a console just yet, as it is more stable to do so on the PC version.

Become whoever and whatever to survive

Character customization became the game’s bread and butter through its extensively library of features and unique take on story progression. As you begin your journey, Lady Jessica welcomes you in and asks you on your origin story, mentorship, and initial skill set — all of which are to your choosing based on your play style. Honestly, none of these completely influence the difficulty in progressing the story too much but it will give you full control of the experience.

As you progress further into the game, you will unlock more skills and abilities to aid you in your quest for power and survival. These will help you earn XP, along with accomplishing tasks, gathering resources and researching newer technologies, plus engaging in combat both within the PvE and PvP areas. Ultimately, you and, potentially, other players must build enough rapport and influence to shape the world of Arrakis to your liking.

Consistent visual expectations

For most players on the PC version, graphical fidelity relied heavily on the hardware of choice. When transitioning the game into a console-friendly environment, Funcom worked out the details seamlessly by adding a Performance and Quality mode. In this fashion, you can opt for crystal-clear graphics at a decent 30 FPS or go for a constant 60 FPS to keep up with the action.

Left: Performance | Right: Quality

No matter which mode you choose, the overall visual identity of the game doesn’t change drastically. Environments look rich and vibrant, while the tiniest of details within character models are preserved. Although, given frame rate differences, rendering of background elements also reflects that but it won’t ruin the gaming experience.

Dune: Awakening will be available on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on September 22. For Xbox Game Pass owners, this will also be a Day One release with Play Anywhere support and cross-play within Xbox and PC players upon launch.

Funcom has also planned an exciting map update later this year plus potential DLC tie-ins to the upcoming Dune: Part Three theatrical release in December.

Gaming

Valve unveils price of the Steam Frame

The VR headset starts at US$ 1,059.

Published

September 15, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The trifecta is complete. Almost a year after announcing their new hardware, Valve has finally unveiled the price tag of the Steam Frame, complementing the Steam Machine and Steam Controller revealed a few months ago.

Whereas the Steam Machine is a console of its own, the Steam Frame is a traditional VR headset with a pair of controllers for both hands. Unfortunately, despite being in a different segment, the headset is not immune to the rising prices of technology. The Steam Frame will start at US$ 1,059 for a 256GB model and can go up to US$ 1,299 for the 1TB model. On the plus side, each box will come Half-Life: Alyx packaged along with the headset.

Here’s a more detailed rundown of what you’re getting. The Steam Frame will ship with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired with 16GB of RAM. Each eye comes with a 2160 x 2160 LCD screen, putting out images at up t0 a 144Hz experimental refresh rate. As mentioned above, the headset will start with 256GB of storage but can go up to 2TB. It will come packaged with SteamOS 3 and a rechargeable 21.6Wh battery.

This might be a hard buy for some. The industry currently has more affordable options, for one. Also, virtual reality isn’t the most thriving segment of gaming today.

If you’re still decided on buying one, however, Valve is using its lottery system. Interested customers can sign up from now until September 17. The company will then randomize the purchasing order. Those who draw the first ones in the lottery can get a purchase email as soon as September 18. Meanwhile, anyone who registers after September 17 will automatically be put at the back of the queue.