I now feel like going back to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth to tackle the remaining Chadley virtual missions – those brutal and legendary challenges that have been sitting in my backlog for months. There’s something about unfinished business in a game you love that keeps pulling you back, and after all this time away, I’m finally ready to face what I left behind.
The Temptation I Almost Gave Into
In the past, I was seriously debating whether or not to just watch a video on YouTube or read a guide online to finally wrap this up and get the platinum trophy. It would’ve been so easy. A few clicks, a well-produced guide, someone else’s optimized strategy handed to me on a silver platter. Quick. Efficient. Done.
The pull was strong. I mean, who wants to bash their head against the same challenge over and over when someone else has already figured out the perfect solution? Why struggle when the answer is right there, waiting to be consumed? It’s the modern gaming dilemma – the constant availability of solutions before we’ve even fully grappled with the problems.
But then something interesting happened, something I didn’t plan for. Over time, as I had other games to play – new releases demanding my attention, old favorites calling me back – I kind of just naturally forgot about Rebirth and those pending challenges. They slipped from my mind, no longer this looming task I had to complete.
And you know what? As a result of that natural drift away from the game, I ended up preserving the experience. I didn’t burn myself out forcing completion. I didn’t spoil the solutions for myself in a moment of frustration. I didn’t reduce these carefully crafted challenges to a checklist. I just… let it go. And in letting it go, I saved something valuable.
🌟 Final Fantasy VII Remake: Material Ultimania
300+ pages of production art, character models, developer commentary, and exclusive voice actor interviews. The definitive behind-the-scenes look at the beloved remake.
🛒 Get on Amazon
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases*
Taking It Slow
Now I’m ready to come back, but I’m doing things completely differently than I originally planned. Let’s talk about the pace – I don’t plan on completing all these extremely difficult challenges quickly. I’m not setting some aggressive timeline or treating this like a job I need to finish. Maybe I could do one challenge a week. Maybe less. Maybe more if I’m really feeling it.
The point isn’t speed. It’s not about efficiency or getting it done as fast as possible. It’s about savoring what’s left of this incredible game.
But here’s the key part, the commitment I’m making to myself: I will try to do this by myself, without watching a video on YouTube or reading a guide. No external help. No shortcuts. Just me, the game, and whatever skills I’ve developed through my time in this world.
At the same time, this feels like the perfect opportunity to replay the entire main story for a third time, on hard mode, while also going through the Chadley virtual missions. Why not experience everything the game has to offer in one comprehensive playthrough? I’ll get to relive the incredible narrative moments, the character development, the spectacular set pieces, all while building up to these final challenges. It’s the best of both worlds – story and gameplay mastery combined.
FF7 Cloud Buster Sword Neon Sign
⚔️ Gaming Wall Decor – Light Blue 15″ x 5″ LED neon light with adjustable brightness. USB-powered, easy wall mount. Perfect for game rooms, bedrooms, and man caves. Great gift for Final Fantasy fans.
🛒 Get on Amazon
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases*
Learning from My FF7 Remake Mistake
One major issue that I have with just watching a YouTube video is that if I do that, then I pretty much know exactly what to do before I even attempt the challenge myself. The mystery evaporates. The sense of discovery vanishes. The challenge becomes paint-by-numbers, a mechanical execution of someone else’s creativity and problem-solving.
This exact scenario happened in my FF7 Remake hard mode run, and it left a mark on me. I couldn’t complete the main story of FF7 Remake on hard mode by myself. I hit walls. I struggled. And instead of pushing through, instead of experimenting and learning and growing as a player, I took what felt like the easy way out.
So I ended up just watching a guide on YouTube, and that pretty much wrapped it up for me. Within a short time, I had a complete strategy ready to go, optimized and tested by someone else. I didn’t have to put in the effort of discovery. I didn’t have to learn through failure. I didn’t have to experiment with different materia combinations or party configurations.
And that felt cheap. Deeply unsatisfying. Sure, I got the completion trophy. Sure, I could say I “beat” hard mode. But did I really? Or did someone else beat it while I just followed their blueprint?
The trophy popped. The achievement unlocked. But there was no real sense of accomplishment, no pride in overcoming something difficult. Just this hollow feeling of having gone through the motions, of having consumed someone else’s gaming experience rather than creating my own.
I don’t want that feeling again. I refuse to reduce Rebirth to that same hollow victory.
FFVII Anniversary Art Museum Card Collection Vol. 2 🎴 20-Pack Booster Box – Physical & Digital
209 design variations featuring artwork from the entire FFVII universe. Each pack has 6 random cards plus 1 digital exchange ticket. Includes normal, premium foil, variant, and secret cards.
🛒 Get on Amazon
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases*
Testing My True Mastery
So for this return to Rebirth, I want to experience these challenges by myself first to see if this is something I can handle based on my current mastery of the game and the materia system. This is the real test. Can I actually do this? Have I learned enough from my time with the game? Do I understand the combat system deeply enough? Have I internalized the synergies between characters, the nuances of materia combinations, the rhythm of these battles?
I want to find out who I am as a player when I don’t have a safety net. When I can’t just pause, pull up a video, and download someone else’s solution into my brain. When it’s just me and the game, in pure conversation.
This is about more than just completion. It’s about respecting the craft that went into designing these challenges, and respecting my own capability to rise to meet them. The developers created these legendary battles to test players, to push them to master the systems they’ve built. By immediately turning to guides, I’m short-circuiting that entire design intention.
Perfect Timing
This whole journey feels especially timely as discussions of the FF7 Remake Part 3 reveal being pretty soon, in the near future – presumably at the Game Awards in December – are picking up again online. The community is buzzing with speculation and excitement. Theories are flying about what the final part will cover, how it might diverge from the original, what new surprises await us.
The hype is building, and I want to be fully immersed in this world when that reveal drops. I want to be actively engaged with Rebirth, fresh on my experience with it, when we get our first look at how this incredible trilogy will conclude.
I’ve got plenty of time before FF7 Remake Part 3 actually releases, which many are speculating will be in the first quarter of 2027. This timing also coincides perfectly with the 30th anniversary of the original Final Fantasy VII, which would be a beautiful full-circle moment for this remake trilogy to conclude.
That gives me over a year – potentially more – to tackle these challenges at my own pace. That’s more than enough time if I’m doing one challenge per week. Even if I take breaks, even if some challenges take multiple attempts across several weeks, I have an enormous runway.
If I don’t finish these challenges by the time Part 3 releases, then it’s time to consult the guides. That’s my deadline, my line in the sand. I’ll have given it my honest best shot, tested myself thoroughly, and if I still can’t overcome certain challenges, then I’ll seek help to experience the complete package before moving on to the finale.
But until then? I’m just going to be enjoying this game and these remaining challenges.
My Own Terms, My Own Pace, My Own Skills
This is my gaming philosophy going forward, at least for games I truly care about. I want to engage with them on my own terms, at my own pace, with my own skills. Not YouTube’s pace. Not the internet’s optimized meta strategies. Mine.
There’s something liberating about disconnecting from the constant stream of guides, tips, optimal builds, and “best ways” to play. Something freeing about just existing in a game world and figuring things out through experimentation and observation.
Will I fail? Probably. Multiple times. Will I waste time on strategies that don’t work? Almost certainly. Will I eventually discover solutions that others found weeks or months before me? Absolutely.
But they’ll be my discoveries. My failures will teach me. My successes will be earned.
And when I finally overcome that last legendary challenge, whenever that happens, I’ll know that I did it. Not a YouTuber. Not a guide writer. Me.
Let’s see what I’m really made of.
Leave a Reply