Materia and party preparation
A starter guide to Final Fantasy VII: equip materia to gain commands, use linked slots for combinations, review equipment growth, keep a recovery option ready.
Original Final Fantasy VII and ports of that game; not Remake or Rebirth.
Equip Materia to gain commands
Magic and other abilities come from equipped Materia. Check weapon and armour slots when changing equipment so an upgrade does not leave you without a useful command.
Use linked slots for combinations
Support Materia works with compatible Materia in connected slots. Test a combination in an ordinary battle before relying on it during a boss fight.
Review equipment growth
Equipment differs in Materia slots and growth as well as attack or defence. Choose based on whether you need immediate battle strength or want to develop your Materia.
Keep a recovery option ready
Spread essential recovery across your party where possible. A single healer is less useful when that character is incapacitated and nobody else has an item or spell ready.
This is a starter reference, not a complete walkthrough or item database. Use the linked game reference for detailed routes and collection lists.