Set before the events of the mainFinal Fantasy 7series,Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldierexplores a Midgar where the Shin-ra Electric Power Company has just begun exploring the idea of their SOLDIER Program. As a result, players ofFF7: The First Soldier, called Candidates, must engage in a simulation and fight to win their worth among the company’s elite ranks. Players can access not just a unique Style and Job and a wide variety of weapons, but also the use of Materia.
Materia serves as themagical power that is usually present inFinal Fantasy. As in the lore for otherFinal Fantasygames, Materia serves as containers of magical effects.FF7: The First Soldiergives players the ability to use these against their fellow Candidates.
What Is Materia?
Unlike other battle royales with RPG components, it might come as a surprise for newcomers that Materia inFirst Soldier, unlike most magic forms in games like these, has to be obtained first before being cast. This ties into the lore of Materia itself. Being theprocessed form of Mako, or life force, Materia contains innate magic depending on how Mako is processed within it. Through training, spellcasters can tap into Materia and use it to access certain spells.
In terms of gameplay, this means that Materia inFirst Soldierare scattered all over the map and have to be obtained. They cost MP to use, and have to recharge for a certain period of time before being used again. Players can equip up to three Materia on their person at a time, allowing them to tailor their gameplay style to certain kinds of magical abilities. Materia usage is unlimited, encouraging players to go wild with their respective builds.
Magic Points (MP)
Materia in the coreFinal Fantasyseries need some form of resource to be used by itsmost powerful spellcasters. In the games, this is commonly known asMagic Points (MP), and this is carried over toFirst Soldier. There are certain properties of MP that players need to consider.
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Players have a set number of MP bars, and each Materia indicates how many bars they consume when used. Players can increase their MP bars the more they level up. MP bars regenerate slowly, and regeneration speeds up when Ethers are consumed.
Summon Materia
Before ranking the best Materia, it’s important to understand that there’s a subtype of Materia that isn’t often found in the game. Called theSummon Materia, theseallow players to call forth powerful backups in the form of summoned beaststo aid them in combat. So far, two can be summoned in battle, each of which has different specialties:
Unlike other Materia, Summon Materia areonly acquired in Supply Drops alongside other rare weapons.They also need to charge for a particular period of time before being usable in combat.
What Makes The Best Materia?
When choosing the “best” Materia inFirst Soldier, players need to consider how certain spells canaffect their overall playstyle. These elements include the following specifications:
The Best Materia In Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier
Gravity
This Materia releases a trap that can slow down enemies should it be activated, giving opponents quite a tough time escaping if they find themselves in a pinch and trying to escape. Players can make use of Gravitywhen in close spaces, where there are limited opportunities for opponents to escape if they’re slowed down.
However, players can’t always make use of Gravity in large environments, especially if enemies have mobile spells of their own. Given the utility-based nature of Gravity, players are advised to use this sparingly.
Protect
With this spell, players can deploy a barrier thatcan reduce incoming damagesent their way. Considering how a few shots can easily down the player and their allies, the damage reduction that Protect provides can be a lifesaver.
Players need to be careful, though, as Protect does have a cooldown period, meaning they can’t deploy it in multiple directions in case of a multidimensional attack. Combined with some defense abilities and skills from other Styles, Protect can become an undeniable asset when under heavy fire or if players need a defensive edge.
Blind
This spell releases a fog thatcovers the immediate vicinity, making for a convenient smoking as it covers everything happening in that area. Despite its short and immediate area coverage, Blind easily obstructs everything in view, especially when enemies attempt to enter the area in melee.
Considering how the game takes place in huge environments where great aim can mean getting killed quickly, players who know when to deploy Blind can give their team enough time to escape enemy engagements or even reposition themselves to catch enemies off guard.
Raise
Players only have one shot at being resurrected in a respawn point, as they lose their chance to get respawned once they get defeated a second time. Thanks to this spell, players themselves can revive fallen teammates, removing the need for them to go to a nearby respawn point and risk getting in the middle of a gunfight.
Playersare advised to get Raisenear the endgame if there’s already someone with Cure. That way, players have a shot at returning to the gunfight when all hope seems lost.
Aero
This spell unleashes a gust of wind that stays on the ground, allowing players and alliesto fly into the skyand head to a particular direction. The Aero spell stays on the ground for a while, giving players the opportunity to plot their course and decide where they want to go.
While it’s not necessarily an offensive spell, the extra mobility this provides can help players escape injuries, deadly firefights, and even head towards safer ground. Players need to be careful when to pick up Aero, especially since it’s more of a utility spell.
Fire
Thanks to the Fire spell, players can shoot a fireball forward and damage enemies from close-to-mid-range, making thisa fantastic weaponwhen it comes to close-range incursions. Perhaps the most basic offensive spell out there, knowing where to shoot Fire can definitely give players an edge in any firefight, especially since Fire’s visuals can also be distracting for a split-second.
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Of course, since Fire does have a manual aiming component, it can get tricky mastering releasing the spell quickly while in a close-range firefight against opponents.
Thunder
Players who love AOE spells can definitely rely on Thunder as an offensive Materia of choice. With the Thunder spell, players can assign an area and cause lightning strikes repeatedly in that zone.
In addition to being aneffective zoning tool, this element of Thunder is extremely efficient when it comes to securing the offensive in contested zones, especially if enemies are defending a particular point they can’t exit from properly. However, players need to be careful, as enemies could simply just run away from the Thunder’s area of effect.
Comet
This spell releases a barrage of comets in a particular area, although this happens after a slight delay. If players can predict where enemies will run to or if they know a zone will likely have enemies soon, Comet can become agreat way to mess with opponents.
This is especially helpful once Comet is activated in areas players know enemies will appear in, making it very useful when the Hazard Zone is smaller. Defending players can do this to secure an area’s defense, while attacking players can use Comet to force players to leave a defended area.
Bio
The Bio spell proves that poison remains an annoying enemy to deal with in any RPG, especially sincedamage-over-time effects can become extremely annoyingto deal with in heated firefights. Thanks to the Bio spell, players have poisons at their disposal, especially since this spell also releases an area of poisonous gas that damages enemies over time.
Despite its damage-over-time nature, this is not just a great way to damage opponents, but is also a zoning or area denial ability. It allows players to secure areas, entrance, and even exits to trap unsuspecting foes. More importantly, the deadly nature of Bio makes it an effective “finisher” tool as players pulverize foes in heated firefights.
Blizzard
It’s one thing to have a spell that kills enemies with aa big blast of damage, and another thing to have a spell that constantly blasts enemies. Players who want the latter can rely on Blizzard.
Thanks to this spell, players can conjure an ice structure that constantly releases ice projectiles near surrounding enemies. While not as impactful from the get-go compared to other offensive spells, an extra weapon constantly shooting opponents gives players more DPS.
Cure
In battle royale games, one life is all that players have — especially since being downed or knocked out almost instantly means death. This means healing through consumables and abilities are extremely important, which makesa reusable healing spell like Curean asset to any player’s arsenal.
Courtesy of this spell, players can restore the health of both themselves and nearby allies in range. Considering its short range, it’s a great tool to use when allies are in a pinch and in need of recovery. Considering how much space potions use, someone with Cure can be a handy support unit throughout the match.
Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldieris available for the iOS and Android.
