You finally made it. After hours of climbing through the slums and wrecking Shinra property, you’re stuck in the heart of the beast. Final Fantasy 7 Remake Chapter 17 is basically where the game stops holding your hand and starts throwing the entire kitchen sink at you. It’s titled "Deliverance from Chaos," and honestly, that’s a bit of an understatement. This is the chapter that separates the casual players from the people who actually understand how the Materia system works.
If you're playing on Hard Mode, this is usually where the "I give up" posts start appearing on Reddit. It’s long. It’s grueling. It features some of the most complex boss mechanics in the entire project. But more than that, it’s the narrative pivot point. This is where the remake stops being a "remake" and starts becoming its own weird, meta-commentary thing.
Most people remember the original 1997 game as a straightforward jailbreak from the Shinra Building. This isn't that. You aren't just running through hallways anymore; you’re navigating Hojo’s "Drum," a biological nightmare fueled by mako and bad intentions.
Navigation is the First Boss
The Drum is a mess. I mean that in the best way possible, but navigating it is a chore if you aren't paying attention. You’re forced to split your party into two groups: Cloud and Barrett in one, Tifa and Aerith in the other. This isn't just a gimmick. It’s a test of your gear management.
One of the biggest mistakes players make in Final Fantasy 7 Remake Chapter 17 is neglecting their secondary team. If you put all your best Materia on Cloud and Barrett, you are going to have a miserable time when the game switches perspective to the girls. You’ve got to balance your Magnify Materia and your healing spells across both teams.
The level design here is vertical and confusing. You’re flipping switches to move bridges, fighting Sledgehammers, and dealing with those annoying Zenene monsters. The Zenenes are a prime example of why you can't just mash square. They jump around, they’ve got high HP, and they punish you for being impatient. If you aren't using Tifa’s Unbridled Strength to ramp up stagger, these fights feel like they take a decade.
The Swordipede and the Art of the Swap
Eventually, you hit the Swordipede. It’s a giant mechanical centipede with saws for legs. Because why not? This boss is the first real check on whether you’ve mastered the party-swap mechanic.
Halfway through the fight, the boss literally leaves. It just flies away to the other floor where your other team is waiting. If you didn't equip Lightning Materia on both teams, you’re basically throwing pebbles at a tank. Thundara is your best friend here. The Swordipede’s head is heavily armored, so you have to aim for the body segments. It’s a chaotic fight that forces you to manage ATB gauges for characters you aren't even currently controlling.
Honestly, the Swordipede is just the warm-up. It’s the game’s way of saying, "I hope you liked that, because it's about to get way worse."
Jenova Dreamweaver: A Visual Masterpiece
Then we get to Jenova Dreamweaver. This is arguably the most atmospheric fight in the whole game. The music—a haunting, updated version of the classic Jenova theme—swells as the arena shifts into a purple, hallucinogenic nightmare.
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From a tactical standpoint, this fight is a nightmare if you don't handle the tentacles. They spawn constantly. If you ignore them to focus on the main body, you’ll get stun-locked into oblivion. You need to use Area-of-Effect (AoE) attacks. Triple Slash with Cloud is great, but don't sleep on Aerith’s Sorcerous Storm.
The "Dreamweaver" subtitle is important. It hints at the fact that what we’re seeing might not be entirely physical. In the original game, this was just Jenova BIRTH. By changing the name and the context, Square Enix is signaling that the "memories" and "fate" themes of the remake are taking center stage.
Why the Third Phase is a Wall
When Jenova hits about 30% health, she starts casting "Stop" and "Silence." This is usually where runs die. If your healer gets Stopped, it’s game over. Most veteran players recommend equipping a Cleansing Materia or using a Ribbon if you’ve somehow managed to snag one by this point.
The boss also starts reflecting magic. Stop casting spells. Just stop. If you see that shield go up, switch to Tifa and go to town with physical combos. It’s about patience. Remake isn't a hack-and-slash; it’s a menu-based RPG disguised as an action game.
Rufus Shinra and the "Git Gud" Moment
After the horror of Jenova, you’d think the game would give you a break. Nope. You get Rufus.
Rufus Shinra is the hardest human-sized boss in the game for one simple reason: he cheats. He has a dog, Darkstar, that tethers to him and heals him. He counters almost every direct attack. If you try to just run up and hit him, he’ll shotgun you in the face and slide away.
The trick? Braver.
It sounds counter-intuitive, but using Cloud's Braver ability right when Rufus is reloading is a guaranteed stagger. Most players don't realize this because the window is tiny. You have to watch his animations like a hawk. When he stops to "Reload," that's your two-second window. Hit him then, or don't hit him at all.
Darkstar needs to go first. Focus everything on the dog. Use Sleep Materia on Rufus if you have to, though his resistance is high. Once the dog is out of the picture, the fight becomes a high-speed duel. It’s one of the few fights in the game that feels like a traditional fighting game.
The Arsenal: A Barrett and Aerith Special
The final major encounter in Final Fantasy 7 Remake Chapter 17 is The Arsenal. This is a massive tank-like robot that Barrett and Aerith have to take down while Cloud is busy elsewhere.
This fight is long. Like, fifteen minutes long if you aren't optimized.
The Arsenal has multiple barriers. It starts with a physical barrier, then switches to a magical one. You have to keep track of which color the drones are glowing.
- Fire/Ice/Lightning/Wind: Use the opposite or corresponding element depending on the drone's weakness.
- The Main Cannon: When it starts charging "Pulse Cannon," get behind the pillars. If you're out in the open, you’re dead.
The pillars aren't infinite, though. They break. This puts a soft "timer" on the fight. You have to kill it before you run out of cover. It’s a frantic, desperate battle that really highlights how much of a powerhouse Aerith is when she’s protected.
The Narrative Shift Nobody Saw Coming
Let’s talk about the ending of this chapter. The "Whispers" (those hooded ghost things) start going crazy. Sephiroth shows up—much earlier than he did in the 1997 original—and starts talking about destiny.
A lot of fans were confused by this. In the original game, you just leave Midgar and the world opens up. Here, Chapter 17 ends with a literal portal to a different dimension. The game is telling you that the future isn't set in stone.
Red XIII explains that the Whispers are the "Arbiters of Fate." They want the story to happen exactly like it did in the original game. By fighting them, Cloud and the gang are essentially fighting the original script of Final Fantasy VII. It’s meta-narrative at its peak.
Preparing for the Hard Mode Run
If you’re coming back to Chapter 17 on Hard Mode, your strategy has to change completely. You can't use items. No potions, no ethers. Your MP management has to be perfect.
- Prayer Materia is Mandatory: Since you can't use items, Prayer is your only way to heal without burning through MP. Level it up to max before you even step foot in the Shinra Building.
- HP Up is Not Optional: You need at least two maxed-out HP Up Materia on every character. You want everyone sitting at around 8,000 to 9,000 HP.
- Elemental Materia in the Armor Slot: On the way to the bosses, you'll fight a lot of fire-based enemies. Putting Elemental + Fire in your armor makes those fights a breeze because you’ll actually heal from their attacks.
The Rufus fight on Hard Mode is especially brutal. You have to be perfect with your parries. If you haven't mastered the "Steadfast Block" Materia, now is the time to learn. It builds ATB while you’re blocking, which is the only way you’ll have enough juice to heal after his shotgun blasts.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Playthrough
Don't just rush through. Chapter 17 is a marathon, not a sprint.
- Audit your Materia before entering the Drum. Ensure both "teams" (Cloud/Barrett and Tifa/Aerith) have a dedicated healer and a way to deal elemental damage.
- Focus on Stagger, not Damage. Especially against the Zenenes and the Swordipede, damage is secondary to building that stagger bar. Use "Focused Thrust" and "Focused Strike" religiously.
- Watch Rufus's feet. He has specific movement patterns before he reloads. Learning the "tell" for his reload will save you more health than any armor in the game.
- Save your MP. Don't use high-level spells (-aga suffix) on trash mobs. Use abilities instead. You’ll need every drop of MP for the boss gauntlet at the end.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Chapter 17 is where the game earns its legendary status. It’s a brutal, beautiful, and narratively daring piece of game design that demands your full attention. Whether you love or hate the story changes, you can't deny that the combat encounters here are some of the best Square Enix has ever designed.
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The next step is simple: Go back into your save file and check your Materia levels. If your "Prayer" or "Chakra" isn't maxed out, spend some time grinding in the Shinra Combat Simulator before you attempt the final climb. You're going to need it.