Fans of Final Fantasy 7 who are unfamiliar with Zack Fair's story now have the chance to experience it in its full thanks to the Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion remake. Once confined to the PSP, this game has been given the Final Fantasy 7 Remake treatment, and now looks suited to modern consoles.
The story of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion follows Zack Fair's quest to become a SOLDIER First Class. He's already a skilled mercenary, but players can improve his fighting abilities by collecting Magic Materia throughout their playthrough. Zack can obtain countless Materia on his travels, and while they each serve a unique purpose, some are better than others.
10 Dispel
For when enemies start putting up defensive shields, the Dispel Materia can be used to bring them back down again. As its name implies, Dispel can remove positive buffs from an enemy, rendering them more susceptible to damage.
The Dispel Materia can be found in a chest outside the Modeoheim Reactor during Zack's infiltration mission, but it can also be obtained by completing the M3-1-6 and M8-3-1 missions available through the game's save points.
9 Wall
The Wall Materia offers one of the best defensive spells in all of Crisis Core. When activated, Zack will create a barrier that lessens the damage he receives from physical and magical attacks. It can be a handy tool to rely on, especially if the player wishes to take on some of the game's most challenging foes while under-leveled.
Zack will receive the Wall Materia upon completing the M3-5-3, M5-2-4, and M9-1-5 missions. While its 42 MP cost can seem a bit steep, the Wall Materia is arguably the most appropriately priced Materia in the entire game, especially when considering the buffs it grants the player.
8 Tri-Thundaga
For 64 MP, Zack can cast Tri-Thundaga, one of the most powerful Thunder-based spells in Crisis Core. When used, it will summon forth three devastating bolts of electricity unto the enemy Zack aims at.
Tri-Thundaga can be a great means of dealing with large enemy groups, as it can hit multiple targets per cast. To obtain it, players can complete the M4-5-1 mission, or search the chests scattered throughout the M4-4-4, M9-5-3, and M2-3-6 missions.
7 Hell Firaga, Hell Blizzaga, & Hell Thundaga
Tri-Thundaga can be a very handy spell to have while dealing with enemy groups, but the Hell spells are much more lethal. Not only will these devastating spells inflict some baffling damage, but they can also apply a status effect if the target is susceptible.
The ailments Poison, Stop, and Silence can be administered when these spells are cast. As if this wasn't good enough, it's also possible for the Death status effect to be applied too. Players can obtain the Hell Firaga, Hell Blizzaga, and Hell Thundaga Materia from the Secret Wutai Shop.
6 Graviga
Graviga won't be overly useful during the opening of Crisis Core, but it can be a huge asset to have when battling against enemies with extremely high HP. So long as the enemy isn't immune to its effects, Graviga will deplete half of the foe's health.
This can be extremely helpful when during the later stages of the game when some enemies have over 99,999 HP. It can also be used multiple times to bring an enemy's health down to a reasonable amount, so the player should ensure to keep it equipped whenever they are faced with a challenge. Graviga can be purchased from the Bone Village Outlet or obtained by completing the M1-3-5 mission.
5 Flare
Costing 77 MP per cast, Flare is understandably one of the strongest offensive spells in Crisis Core. When the Flare Materia is used, Zack will produce a blinding white light that damages his enemies. It can be a great help when dealing with groups of enemies, but the cost might deter players from relying on it too much.
The Flare Materia can be obtained from a variety of different missions, but it can also be stolen from the Mover Ex enemies. If the player is making their way through the missions; however, they will receive Flare by completing the M3-4-4, M5-4-3, M8-6-4, and M9-3-6 missions.
4 Ultima
Like in most Final Fantasy games, Ultima is one of the most powerful spells the player can get their hands on. Obtaining it usually requires a decent bit of work, but it's usually worth it depending on the entry it appears in.
In Crisis Core, the Ultima Materia can be obtained by completing the M3-5-4 mission, or by searching the chests in the M2-5-2, M6-6-3, M6-6-5, M9-6-2, and M9-6-5 missions. Sadly, the Materia costs 99 MP to be used, so players will likely opt to prioritize cheaper materia instead.
3 Energy
The Energy Materia can be a huge benefit for those who wish to repeatedly damage an enemy from a distance. When cast, a ball of light will materialize in front of Zack before approaching the enemy he is aiming at. When it collides with an opponent, it will deal damage over a period of time.
The Energy Materia can be obtained by completing the M1-5-3, M2-4-4, M2-4-6, and M9-2-4 missions. It can also be stolen from the Explosive bomb enemies found wandering the M9-5-6 and M9-6-2 missions.
2 Quake
Quake is arguably the best offensive spell in all of Crisis Core, especially if the player gets their hands on it early on. When used, it will dislodge the ground beneath Zack's feet and deal out some severe damage to all the enemies in its range.
The only downside about Quake is that it cannot be used against flying enemies. That said, airborne enemies aren't nearly as common as grounded foes, so the player should be able to use Quake effectively during most battles. Surprisingly, Quake can be obtained quite early in the game if the player opts to unlock the Wutai Secret Shop.
1 Curaga
While Cure will be Zack's best healing method during Crisis Core's opening, players should replace it with Cura the moment they obtain the Cura Materia. Next, they should replace Cura with Curaga, the best healing spell in the entire game.
Though Curaga costs 28 MP to cast, it can often mean the difference between victory and defeat, so players should rely on it regularly throughout their playthrough. To obtain a Curaga Materia, the player can combine two leveled versions of Cure or Cura in the Materia Fusion menu.