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Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthbalances the fast-paced hybrid action/turn-based battle system introduced in Remake with a slew of new twists. The result is an evolution, a progression of the established baseline. Nowhere is this evolution taken further than it is through its Synergy system.
But what is Synergy? As the name implies, it involves the synergy of two separate things: namely, a combination of combat techniques between two party members. Thus, every time you trigger something related to the Synergy system, you’re employing the talents of two characters. It’s simple in theory, but complex in execution - hence, we’ve jotted it all down for you.
How Does Synergy Work In Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
Synergycomes in two distinct varieties:Synergy SkillsandSynergy Abilities. We’ll get into the weeds more on what the differences between them entail, but they both follow the same general idea.You activate Synergy techniques in battlewhen their conditions are met.
This isn’t automatic; it’s a player decision whether and when to do so. More importantly,the two characters necessary for the Synergy techniquemust be in your active party. They can’t be on the ‘sidelines’, so to speak, as is often the case with your backup squad.
Be they Skills or Abilities,Synergy techniques can confer many benefitsin addition to (or in many cases,instead ofdealing damage to your enemies).
What’s The Difference Between Synergy Skills And Synergy Abilities?
Synergy Skills and Synergy Abilitiesare entirely separate things. In fact, it might not have been a bad idea for Square Enix to have given them more distinct names - but we digress.
Synergy Skills
Synergy Skillsare equipped in slots andactivated as often as you’d like. In battle,press R1 as though you’d be guarding, and hold it (as you likely would while guarding as well). Unlike in FF7 Remake, Rebirth will then displayfour possible commands, one mapped to each face button.
For instance, you might seeCounterfiremapped as’R1 + Circle'. Since you’re already holding R1, simply tap the circle button, and the two characters in question (in this case, there are several candidates) will use the skill.
As we’ve said,Synergy Skills are always availableto you, so long as you have at least two controllable characters who possess any. Which you very much will, very quickly into the game. You should treat these asnearly as consistently useful as regular attacks.
The reason for this is thatFF7 Rebirth tosses more complex foes at you than Remake didon a more routine basis, and these complexities are designed to be dealt with in this fashion.
Counterfire, when properly timed,nullfies ranged damage - and counters it. Think of Counterfire as merely the first example among many. Always keep an eye out for which Synergy Skills you feel are most applicable to a given situation, andgo into Combat Settings to equip them.
Synergy Abilities
Synergy Abilitiesare far moreexclusive and uncommon. you’re able to think of them less like Synergy Skills, and more likea new form of Limit Break. There areonly a few of them between the cast, andthey are all immensely helpful.
Building up your Synergy Abilities, unlike Limit Breaks, doesn’t involve keeping tabs on an ever-present gauge. Rather,you must rely upon your characters' individual unique abilities.
Examples of qualifying character abilities for Synergy-charging include Cloud’sBraver, Tifa’sDivekick, Aerith’sSorcerous Storm, and Barret’sSteelskin.
Each of these character abilities hasa pip-like indicator to its leftwhen you view it in battle. These pips serve aschargestowardyour opportunity to use Synergy Abilities, which you can alwaysviewin the Synergy bar, but you can’tuseuntil the requisite characters have enough charges.
Not all character abilities operate in this fashion;the newly-introduced elemental abilitiescommon across the party do not count. It’s easy to remember which ones do and which ones don’t - just bear in mind thatSynergy Abilities only receive charges from trulyuniquetechniques.
How Do You Learn New Synergy Moves?
Thankfully,you’ll learn Synergy Skills and Abilities in the same manner, so at least that part’s not so confusing. Namely,the Folio board, which is Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’smain character development system.
Many of theseskill cores, as they’re called, containSynergy Skills. Owing to their common nature,many Synergy Skills have numerous character combinations, so expect to see some of them several times on separate boards. Spending the necessary SP unlocks them.
Synergy Abilities' appearances on the Folio board arerarer, as obtaining them constitutes major milestonesin the expansion of your strategic combat options.
Synergy Abilities will appear on one character’s boardeven though they involve two, so you only need to learn them once.Avalanche Two Step, which isTifa and Barret’sSynergy Ability, appears on Barret’s board.
