Final Fantasy VII Remake’s eighteen chapters ensure a wealth of gameplay variety and new challenges for the player to overcome as the plot pushes forward. Unfortunately, not every chapter is as good as the last, but this is expected from such a massive story.
Still, its highs are breathtaking while its lows are more than worth pushing through to reach the next part of the adventure. The following list ranks all the chapters in order from weakest to strongest. At the end of the day, however, no chapter is downright bad in this jaw-dropping retelling of the classic 1997 RPG’s opening hours.
18 Chapter Seventeen: Deliverance From Chaos
This one would actually be one of the best chapters if it wasn’t for the overextended beginning.
Going through Hojo’s lab takes forever, especially for fans of the series who know what happens next and want to see the climactic action play out.
17 Chapter Eleven: Haunted
The party is rushing to save Sector Seven, yet they spend over an hour in this train graveyard helping and fighting mysterious ghosts.
Knowing the battle going on in the distance makes the trudge through the haunted area almost unbearable.
16 Chapter Seven: A Trap Is Sprung
Save for the actual fight with the Air Buster, this chapter overstays its welcome and overhypes the fight with what was once a nearly inconsequential boss.
Some small details of the original game are perhaps better left off as just that.
15 Chapter Sixteen: Belly Of The Beast
The first chapter detailing the assault on the Shinra Headquarters is a sign of how the next several hours play out.
In the original, the attack is like a thrilling amusement park ride. In the remake, plenty of downtime draws out the sequence to unnecessary lengths.
14 Chapter Three: Home Sweet Slum
The first chapter to let the player explore and do side quests also contains the most boring optional missions of the game.
The majority of them boil down to slaying some normal monsters and returning to the quest giver. Chadley is also introduced here, which is either a plus or a minus depending on one’s opinion of him.
13 Chapter Five: Dogged Pursuit
Spending time on the train gives players a new perspective on the world as they see the residents of Midgar on their daily commute.
Shortly after Avalanche is spotted, they fight their way through the subway tunnels.
12 Chapter Fifteen: The Day Midgar Stood Still
The journey on the way towards the Shinra Building serves to show the player the true extent of the devastation caused by Sector Seven’s collapse.
It also does not run too long, coming in as one of the shorter chapters.
11 Chapter Six: Light The Way
Going through the maintenance area under the plate feels like the first proper dungeon in the game, a staple of the series.
In a largely linear adventure, the sequence lets go of the player’s hand and lets them explore the small area, a rarity for a non-residential environment.
10 Chapter Ten: Rough Waters
After falling into the sewers, players control a party of three for the first time in a while. The combat takes a small increase in difficulty, though never becomes insurmountable.
A foreboding feeling permeates through the chapter as the characters dwell on Don Corneo’s information about the attack on the Sector Seven plate.
9 Chapter Thirteen: A Broken World
The underground Shinra lab is an unexpected surprise, as it was completely lacking in the PS1 original.
Still, it serves to show the player the extent of the company’s scientific endeavors. Wedge’s survival also deepens the story’s mystery.
8 Chapter Fourteen: In Search Of Hope
The last chapter before heading towards Shinra HQ also hosts the most complex and interesting side quests.
Additionally, the cinematic outside Aerith’s house with either Barret, Aerith, or Tifa shines a light on whichever character the player ends up interacting with.
7 Chapter Eighteen: Destiny’s Crossroads
While the gameplay segments are nothing to write home about, the ending alone puts this chapter into a high tier.
Players will spend years mulling over the implications of the conclusion until the next game comes out.
6 Chapter Twelve: Fight For Survival
The game starts out dark, but this is where things get pitch black. Avalanche almost loses several key members while battling to prevent Shinra from blowing up the pillar.
Innocent lives hang in the balance and seeing the heroes suffer such a loss is shocking.
5 Chapter Eight: Budding Bodyguard
Spending more time with Aerith and her exuberant personality is reason enough for this chapter’s high spot.
However, it also introduces the Turks and has two wildly entertaining boss fights with Reno and Rude.
4 Chapter Two: Fateful Encounters
The aftermath of the bombing run is shown in a new light as players walk through this area of Midgar and witness the suffering resulting from the reactor’s explosion.
The original game could not convey the same atmosphere due to the PlayStation’s technological limitations.
3 Chapter One: The Destruction Of Mako Reactor One
In a genre known for slow starts, the opening chapter hits the ground running with a daring attack on a mako reactor.
A beautiful cinematic precedes it, resembling the original game’s intro with an additional scene showcasing Midgar as the reactors were built.
2 Chapter Four: Mad Dash
This chapter was completely absent in the first game, making the new revelations about Jessie’s family, the introduction of the larger Avalanche organization, and Roche all feel like gifts.
Wedge also gets shot in the butt, for anybody who appreciates some slapstick humor.
1 Chapter Nine: The Town That Never Sleeps
While a long chapter, it is also chock full of goodness, from dancing at the Honey Bee Inn to infiltrating Don Corneo’s estate.
The interpretation of this iconic sequence from the original was the biggest question on fans’ minds, and the developers pulled it off perfectly.
