PSA: Don’t Skip FF7 Remake’s Side-Quests

TL;DR

  • Side quests unlock exclusive character development scenes not available in main story progression
  • Unique weapons and early game equipment provide significant combat advantages against tougher enemies
  • Katie’s monster tally system rewards dedicated completionists with rare materia and resources
  • Enhanced world building expands Midgar’s lore and establishes deeper emotional connections
  • Strategic side quest completion prevents missing crucial upgrades and story content permanently

FF7 Remake Essential Advice: Complete Every Side Mission!

After anticipating the Final Fantasy 7 remake for over a decade, the temptation to rush through the main narrative might feel overwhelming. However, exercising patience and methodically exploring optional content delivers substantially richer rewards. These supplementary missions can become permanently inaccessible if you advance the primary storyline too quickly, making strategic planning crucial.

For comprehensive gameplay assistance, explore our detailed guide featuring vital strategies for mastering Final Fantasy 7 Remake, along with our analysis of one particularly complex early side mission. Additionally, our complete Final Fantasy 7 Remake review offers thorough insights about the gaming experience. Continue reading to understand why side quest completion is non-negotiable in FF7 Remake!

The original Final Fantasy VII launched 23 years ago allocated considerable time establishing Midgar’s atmosphere, narrative foundation, and character introductions. Despite its expansive scope, the journey eventually required departing the metropolitan confines to pursue global adventures, limiting Midgar’s presence primarily to later game sequences.

This reimagined version dramatically amplifies the iconic location’s narrative significance while providing extended personal moments for party members. Upon reaching Sector 7 Slums in Chapter 3 and finishing initial tasks with Tifa, players face a choice: rest immediately or establish reputation as the region’s premier mercenary by assisting local merchants and community patrols. These assignments might involve retrieving stray felines or eliminating dangerous Were-rat infestations.

Since you're spending more time with Tifa as you complete side-quests, you get to learn more details about their relationship.

Extended side quest interactions reveal nuanced relationship dynamics between Cloud and Tifa that main story missions barely touch upon.

While these tasks may appear trivial initially, the dedicated one-on-one time with Tifa discussing shared history, Avalanche operations, and global political conditions profoundly develops her character motivations and slum life experiences. As her persistent emotional outreach gradually erodes Cloud’s defensive exterior, players witness him revealing vulnerabilities originally concealed until the latter half of the classic game, building toward an optional narrative encounter we deliberately avoid spoiling.

For players less interested in emotional narratives, substantial functional benefits justify side quest completion. Through optional mission fulfillment, you acquire critical early-game armor enhancements, while in different urban sectors later, obtain weapons completely exclusive to these activities—based on current discovery data.

Pro Tip: Prioritize weapon-focused side quests during Chapter 8 and Chapter 14, as these provide combat advantages that significantly ease subsequent boss encounters. Many players mistakenly skip these missions, then struggle against amplified difficulty spikes in later chapters.

Common mistakes include underestimating the power differential between standard and side quest weapons. The Nail Bat obtained from Wymer’s quest line, for instance, provides unique stagger mechanics that dramatically improve combat efficiency against specific enemy types. Understanding these weapon mechanics early creates smoother progression throughout the entire game.

Advanced players should coordinate side quest completion with character level progression for optimal stat development. The additional combat experience gained during these missions accelerates character growth beyond main story benchmarks, creating tangible advantages during challenging sequences.

Extended combat engagement during optional missions creates additional reward opportunities. Conversing with Katie near the weapon merchant reveals she maintains detailed records of eliminated monsters. Achieving various elimination thresholds unlocks tiered rewards including: 5 potions, revival earrings, and MP Up Materia.

Katie keeps a running tally of all the fiends you kill during your time spent taking odd jobs in the slums.

Katie’s comprehensive tracking system monitors all hostile entities eliminated during slum odd jobs.

Economic Strategy: Side quests provide approximately 40-50% more Gil than main story missions relative to time investment. This financial advantage enables earlier access to expensive materia and equipment from vendors, creating snowballing benefits throughout your playthrough. The revival earrings from Katie’s system particularly valuable for hard mode preparation.

Time investment analysis shows most side quests require 8-15 minutes completion time, making them highly efficient for resource accumulation. Players aiming for 100% completion should note that certain quests have narrow completion windows—specifically Chapters 3, 8, and 9 offer the most substantial financial returns.

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Optimization approach: Complete all available side quests before advancing chapter objectives. This method ensures maximum Gil acquisition while preventing permanent mission lockout. The class specialization knowledge from other games applies here—understanding your preferred combat style helps prioritize which quest rewards provide greatest individual benefit.

The MP Up Materia obtained through Katie’s monster elimination tiers represents one of the most valuable early-game magical enhancements. This materia significantly increases maximum MP capacity, enabling more spell casts during extended dungeon explorations and boss confrontations.

Combat Advantage: Side quest exclusive materia often features enhanced versions or unique properties unavailable through standard progression. The MP Up Materia from Katie’s system, for example, provides 20% greater MP boost than the store-bought variant, creating meaningful combat differentiation.

Strategic materia allocation combined with side quest rewards creates powerful character builds much earlier than typical gameplay allows. This strategic advantage becomes particularly noticeable during Chapter 9’s coliseum battles and subsequent combat challenges.

Advanced gameplay tip: Coordinate side quest completion with materia development cycles. The additional AP gained from extended combat accelerates materia mastery, potentially unlocking powerful spells and abilities before confronting significant narrative obstacles.

For players pursuing comprehensive completion goals, understanding these materia advantages is crucial for efficient playthrough planning. The time investment in optional content pays substantial dividends during difficult late-game sequences where every statistical advantage matters.

Action Checklist

  • Complete all Chapter 3 side quests before advancing to prevent permanent missable content
  • Prioritize weapon reward quests in Chapters 8 and 14 for combat advantages
  • Visit Katie after each combat-heavy quest to claim tiered elimination rewards
  • Coordinate side quest completion with materia development for accelerated AP gains
  • Document exclusive gear acquisitions to avoid purchasing redundant equipment from vendors

No reproduction without permission:SeeYouSoon Game Club » PSA: Don’t Skip FF7 Remake’s Side-Quests Essential FF7 Remake side quest benefits: character development, exclusive gear, and combat advantages