Even set to the preferred difficulty for a playthrough, FF7 Rebirth players may find they struggle with boss fights, especially later in the game. For those looking to jump in on a quick exploit, there is a way to cheese a boss fight for easier success.
Fights get progressively more grueling as players work toward the end of FF7 Rebirth. Those set on normal difficulty or above who didn’t spend as much time in the open-world areas may encounter a particularly difficult time, as boss fights start coming in waves of three or four at a time. This action-style late-game system is punishingly difficult, but a built-in mechanic may be the answer to avoiding some of the controller-chucking rage that can be induced by repeated retries on boss fights.
**Major Plot Spoilers In Explanation Below**
How To Use The Combat Exploit in FF7 Rebirth
To use the boss fight exploit in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to cheese combat, simply stop moving the controllers. FF7 Rebirth has a combat assist feature that will take over control of a character, and the game will begin moving the active character without input from the player.
I discovered this exploit during the main boss fight on the second trip to the Golden Saucer. After multiple heats of boss fights, money was tight, items were low, and then Cloud was shoved one-on-one into a major fight against the President of Shinra himself, Rufus.
Related: How to Beat the Terror of the Deep in FF7 Rebirth
Despite playing on Normal difficulty, and sitting at level 40, dodging Rufus’ melee and gunshot attacks was a feat of human dexterity. After 10+ attempts, I dropped the controller into my lap halfway through another failed fight, only to see Cloud start moving independently of my frantic button mashing. Suddenly, he was dodging and deflecting in perfect time, easily scooting around Rufus, and filling up the ATB gauge and Limit Break.
While this may be user error or combat skill level issues, I restarted the battle and immediately let the computer take over. I won on the first try.
Steps To Winning With The No-Input Exploit in FF7 Rebirth
There are a few important things to remember when using this boss fight exploit in FF7 Rebirth:
- The AI controller won’t use abilities, items, spells, limit breaks, or Synergy moves.
- The AI doesn’t seem to prioritize attacks, but blocking and dodging.
- In fights that aren’t solo, players will still need to swap between characters to charge the Synergy gauge.
The best way to use this exploit is to let the AI do the dodging and blocking, and then heal as needed until a limit, ability, or Synergy move is ready.
For example, when battling Rufus, he was defeated using only Cloud’s Limit Break, which required roughly seven charges.
While this isn’t a perfect glitch or cheat, it may be helpful for those struggling to move forward in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Alternatively, loading a save and going back to the level grind is another way to help boost success in the boss barrages found after chapter eight.
