In one of the most annoying fight sequences of Final Fantasy VII RebirthPresident Rufus Shinra shows up to take Cloud in a one-on-one match in the Gold Saucer in Chapter 12. As in Final Fantasy VII RemakeRufus is a fast and deadly opponent. Nevertheless, he is very beatable if you use the right techniques.
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Rufus’ battle forces you to dodge attacks more than other battles Rebirthand you have to look for key openings that you can slam shut.
The three-step solution to the fight against Rufus
You’ll need to exercise some restraint and patience when fighting Rufus and carve out clear windows of opportunity. His attacks deal intimidating damage, he’s fast, and he can easily counterattack and stun you. Here are three pieces of advice to keep in mind when fighting Rufus Shinra.
I’m telling you that you have to dodge bullets
Get ready to penetrate many circles to avoid Rufus’ various attacks. In fact, I recommend taking time to get used to dodging his attacks reliably before you start landing attacks. Fighting Rufus is almost like multitasking, and you’ll have to rely on your evasive maneuvers to be practically on autopilot as you look for ways to attack him.
Once you get used to dodging his attacks, it’s time to use Cloud’s ranged attack to increase your ATB meter.
Fill your ATB with Cloud’s ranged attacks
Cloud has a pretty good ranged attack, which isn’t necessarily very strong on every single hit, but is definitely useful. After hitting the circle and then immediately the square, Cloud unleashes a beam of his blade that flies towards a target (make sure you have your opponent in your sights with R3). If you hold the position, he will physically fly towards his opponent. The latter can get you into trouble with Rufus, as he will likely counterattack.
You can of course continue to spam the circle and then hit the square button a few times to keep attacking Rufus, but Cloud’s blade beams don’t do much damage. Instead, they are more useful for increasing Cloud’s ATB, which you should use as soon as Rufus starts reloading. After a while, Rufus will also become immune to this attack, so you should hit just enough to refill your ATB and then allow Rufus to make his own attack, after which he will probably need to reload.
Rufus’ reload animation makes him extremely vulnerable
Rufus is vicious in his counterattacks, but if you wait to hit him while he’s reloading, you can easily pressure him. His reload animation (which is accompanied by the word “Reload” above his head) is your window of opportunity. Not only do you have to constantly dodge his attacks, but you also have to stay within range to be ready to attack. Using the ATB abilities Braver and Focused Thrust will also push him further into the Staggered state; It’s a good idea to set up and remember the shortcuts for these attacks – especially Focused Boost, which sends Cloud charging towards him.
Additionally, if you wait for him to actually perform the reload action, by the time Cloud makes his attack it will often be too late and you will be punished by Rufus’ counterattack. Remember that he always reloads after performing certain weapon-based attacks. Provided you can avoid him, we found the moment immediately after Rufus uses Guns Akimbo to be a particularly good opportunity to get in close and score some hits.
A few more considerations
You may Poison Rufus with organic. It doesn’t do much damage, but it can drain HP slowly. Plus, it’s valuable to occupy Haste and/or protective spells such as Barrier/Protection on yourself. Note that Rufus has no elementary weaknesses. So feel free to use the one from Cloud Materia slots for matter This will improve his overall combat performance and Healing spells like rain.
Read more: FF7 RebirthExplaining the confusing “Retry out of this fight” screen.
Note that during the cutscene that takes place between the Elena/Rude fight and Rufus’ fight, you can access the main menu by holding down the square button. If you just want to restart the fight with Rufus, select Retry From. This battle” after pausing the game and selecting “Replay.”
What to do with Darkstar?
Rufus has a dog buddy who is terribly annoying. He will join the fight once you have knocked Rufus down to about half his health. You will find that there is a connection between the two, and breaking that connection will put pressure on the dog.
Focus on taking out Darkstar as quickly as possible. Complaining about him increases your ATB. I recommend you avoid using Triple Strike as it will likely result in Cloud attacking Rufus, risking a Presidential counterattack that will cost you HP and time.
The Colosseum battle in Chapter 12 certainly borders on sensory overload with the loud music and constant chatter from the announcers. In some ways, that makes bringing down the former president’s son even harder. But if you dodge his attacks and strike at the right moment, you’ll get out of this fight and head towards the final moments of this epic RPG.
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