Once players finally conquer the last chapter in Square Enix’s epic Final Fantasy VII Remake, they are left with a variety of challenges still left to overcome, the most significant of which involves accessing the Shinra Combat Simulator in Chapter 17 on Hard Mode. Thing is, even if the player manages to make it to max level (50) by the end of the game, that doesn’t do much to prepare you for some of the near-insurmountable challenges presented to you by Chadley. As such, it is highly recommended to dive into some admittedly tedious AP farming in order to max out some of the more useful materia options, such as HP Up, Elemental, and Magnify. So, to that end, here is our Final Fantasy VII Remake AP farming guide that’ll help you dive into post-game content with confidence.

Final Fantasy VII Remake AP Farming Guide

While players can typically farm AP in several places, two specific areas of the game stand out as the absolute best places to do so. The first ideal place for Final Fantasy VII Remake AP Farming is the beginning of Chapter 16, in the garage below the Shinra Building. Reaching the area takes just a minute or two after starting the chapter, and clearing the Shinra soldiers out should take less than 5 minutes for a gain of around 280 AP. With Chapter Selection unlocked by completing the game, players can jump back to the beginning of the chapter after clearing the garage out. It is recommended to equip Cloud with Fire + Elemental linked materia in order to more quickly shred through the opposition.

The other – and in my opinion, best – place to farm AP is via the Shinra Combat Simulator in Chapter 17. The Three-Person Team vs. Team Ragbag challenge should on average take about two minutes to complete for an approximate gain of around 160 AP. More importantly, since this is a simple VR challenge, players can repeat quickly without the need to restart a chapter and skip cutscenes and dialogue. I’ve personally found this method to be the most ideal, though it also depends on how quickly you get through each of the five rounds.

Increasing AP Gains

For either of the above options, there are a few things you should do before kicking off your Final Fantasy VII Remake AP farming session. Clearing the game is first and foremost on this list, as doing so will unlock a permanent 3x AP boost and 2x EXP boost. It is also highly recommended that players pick up the Pedometer materia near Aerith’s house in Chapter 14. Equipping it and walking the required 5,000 steps will turn it into an AP Up materia, which increases AP gains for the linked materia by 100%. Linking that materia with the magic/skill/command/stat materia that will take the longest to level up – Revival materia, Elemental materia, HP Up materia, etc – should help the grind go by a bit quicker.

These are just a few helpful times to get the most out of your Final Fantasy VII Remake AP farming. The game is now available exclusively for the PlayStation 4.

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