Chapter 8 continues in Final Fantasy VII Remake, and despite all your efforts to escape him, Rude is waiting for you on your way to Aerith's house. He has every intention of avenging his colleague, Reno, whom you humiliated in the church.
Rude is more a fearsome and composed fighter, and he will require you to work as a team to defeat him. Fortunately, you are no longer alone this time as Aerith is here to support Cloud.
Planning & Materia
- A bench and a vending machine will allow you to rest in town a little before the boss, so you can start the fight in top shape.
- Rare thing for a human, Rude is not vulnerable to Fire. He is vulnerable to Wind. We recommend that you buy 2 Wind Materia from Chadley in town and give one to Cloud, linked to the Elemental Materia, and the other to Aerith. This will make the fight much easier.
- The Steadfast Block Materia can greatly help Cloud in this fight.
- It's a good idea to play Aerith on this fight, in which case giving the Crescent Moon Charm to Cloud to reduce the damage he takes as an inactive character may be a good idea.
- Bring some Healing Material.
- Buying Smelling Salts from a dispenser before battle will allow you to wake up the character that Rude has put to sleep.
Rude's Abilities
- Haymaker: A fearsome melee attack that will stun the target and expose it to Rude's next moves. You must either dodge it or block it. If the technique succeeds, it's better to change characters.
- Running Tackle: Rude rushes forward and knocks his target down, holding it down to hit it. Again, it's better to change the controlled character if you take the hit.
- Hammerblow: Creates an impact zone on the ground with a jump in the air, it is absolutely necessary to dodge to avoid massive damage.
- Shockwave: Produces a shockwave that will hit a target from a distance. It is difficult to dodge unless you have excellent timing.
- Sweet Dreams: Used regularly in the second phase of combat, this technique will usually target Aerith. It can be dodged by running around the area until the spell finally wears off. But if you don't control Aerith, she is guaranteed to fall asleep, in which case you will need to use a Smelling Salt or a Cleansing Materia for example.
Fight
- This fight with Cloud is horribly frustrating. It may be a deliberate choice by the developers to make you play Aerith on the fight while Cloud tanks.
- Rude is kind of a bully, he'll ignore your attacks and launch devastating combos that will throw Cloud into the air or onto the ground. Blocking his attacks is possible and even highly recommended, but he will then activate his guard, which will greatly reduce the damage you inflict on.
- It's much more rewarding to play Aerith, especially if you have equipped the Wind Materia. Maintain a large distance between you and Rude, use your Arcane Ward weapon ability, which will double the spells sent, and then stay in the activated area on the ground. Then, bombard Rude with spells, preferably when his guard is down. If he sends you his Sweet Dreams, run away until the spell wears off.
