1.4 - Chapter 4

1.4.1 - The SOLDIER 1st Class

A bunch of new missions will be unlocked by now. 3-1-1 and 3-1-2, 5-1-2, 8-1-3 through 8-1-6, and 8-3-1 through 8-3-6 are all unlocked now. If you go to the briefing room and talk to the SOLDIER 3rd class inside the briefing room, you'll also unlock missions 7-1-1 through 7-1-6. Most missions are all possible to do now. You must of course first beat missions to unlock the next mission(s). Check locker #6 in the Briefing Room again to find a •STAR PENDANT.

After saving, you can check out the Training Room and talk to Hojo. If you select the first option, you'll be able to fight some battles in the VR Room:

• Battle 1: 2x Wutai Private (178 HP) + 1x Foulander (482 HP)
• Battle 2: 3x Guard Hound (491 HP)
• Battle 3: 2x Blood Taste (914 HP)
• Battle 4: Experiment 88 (looks like Behemoth, 9999 HP)

Head over to the elevator and go to the SOLDIER Director's Office. Zack is promoted to 1st Class SOLDIER! After the scene you'll have gotten new clothes, 2 extra materia slots, Materia Fusion, SP Convert, and two extra materia: •FIRE (M) and •BLIZZARD (M). Leave the Briefing Room and select the second option to get a short scene. Now you can leave. Hop in the elevator and select the entrance. Go outside to Sector 8.

Talk to the women who are with Fanclubs, then head to the Southeast part of the area and check for a man near the top of the stairs. Head into LOVELESS Avenue (north from the fountain) and speak with the first woman and select the first option. She is talking about Joe, with his Black Chocobo TEIOH. You know, the guy in the chocobo races in FF7 that always had better stats than you? That's the one.. Either way, this will unlock a mission. Then go into the alley up north again and talk to the woman here. Another mission unlocked, plus you should now have loads of mail. Head back to Shinra HQ and check the new missions at a Save Point. Missions 2-1-1 and 2-1-2 are now available. When you're done, head to the Director's Office.

After the scene, you'll have to go to the elevator and select the top option. Inside the elevator, you can choose to get off at floor 49 (and do a few optional things), or select the first option to go straight downstairs.

On floor 49, you'll fight three Red Saucer I's which are weak and only have 570 HP, 1 SP and 8 Gil. Check on the SOLDIER 3rd and you'll get in a fight. An •ETHER is your reward for saving the guy. Now head into the Training Room and fight the 6 Red Saucers I, and select the first option after the battle to get 5000 gil. Not too shabby! Head back to the elevator and go down. Here you'll have to fight a crapload of enemies: 5 Genesis Avengers, 6 Sweepers, and 7 Red Saucer I. After the fight, a few scenes take place and Cissnei is added to the DMW. Now you're in Sector 8.

Follow Cissnei into LOVELESS Street - after you've saved your game, perhaps. Check your left to save the kid, he'll hand you an •EARRINGS as reward. Save the mother and daughter on the right for an •AMULET. Head down the street for a semi-boss fight with..

Strategy

This guy's not hard. Put up Barrier if you have it, and smack away at his back with physical attacks. His attacks are easy to dodge, except Scorcher. Heal when he does that and you should be fine.

After the battle, Cissnei gives you a Shop Adress (Research Dept. QMC). After the scene you'll be in the 5th Mako Reactor. SAVE YOUR GAME!

1.4.2 - Mako Reactor #5

Move a bit forward, and you'll have to fight an A-Sahagin (3710 HP, 76 SP, 66 Gil). He's not very tough, just dodge his jump attack or block it. After this a flashback from Sephiroth is shown in one of the most beautiful cutscenes you will ever see (which lasts 4 and half minutes! Have you ever had an orgasm that lasted that long? If so, tell me how! If not, watch this movie!). When it's over, load your game and watch it again .. twice!

After the scenes, go back a bit and climb down the ladder. Just before this, you'll get a mail from a Treasure Princess, which unlocks new missions. When you're down, turn the valve. Head down another ladder and walk to the end of the path to turn another valve. Grab a •HI-POTION and a •SHINRA ALPHA from the chests. Backtrack to the Save Point. From here, just walk the path straight forward, ignoring the first ladder as it leads to where you extended the ladder just now. At the end of the path, turn another valve to create a shortcut to the Save Point. Go down the ladder next to the valve. You can walk straight to Sephiroth who's waiting at the end.

By the way, the missions that are unlocked are 8-4-1 through 8-6-6, through 9-1-1 till 9-6-6, which is a large portion of all missions. You can't do all of these right now, but you can certainly attempt the first few to get a couple of new DMW's (perhaps you'll FINALLY get to see a summon DMW).

Save your game and check the room for three files. After reading them talk to Sephiroth for another scene. Now a 'hide and seek' game starts, but it's so straightforward that you can't - not know - where Hollander is going. Run after him, and into the first room he'll be hiding behind the door. At the inter-section, head right to find a chest with •HI-POTION x2. The next part is again straightforward (I'd almost go ahead and say this is a fairly straightforward game.. right?), and you can grab a •MAG Up (M) from the chest you come across. Follow the path and you'll get to a more open area and an intersection, sort of. To the left is a chest with a •CIRCLET. Proceed, and you'll get the chance to save your game before the boss fight.

Strategy

For all good order, the Shot Machine is the one shooting annoying missiles, the Pile Machine is blue, and the Cutter Machine is the yellow sucker. Start with Barrier, then aim to take out the Shot Machine first with magic or physical attacks from behind. Shot Machine inflicts the most damage, so when he's taken care of, the battle simplifies already. After this, I suggest taking out Pile Machine (blue one) because it has a charge attack that I just find annoying. All in all, these three are more annoying than they are hard. Lightning works well, by the way.

Another closing chapter scene takes place.

End of Chapter 4 Picture: Sephiroth.