The characters always make strange decisions in Final Fantasy VII Remake. Rather than stay together and face this new boss in a group, Cloud, decides to go alone. Very bad decision because Rufus is not like his father, he knows how to fight. He is also assisted by a dog clearly more talented than Red 13.
Planning & Materia
- A bench and a vending machine will allow you to rest in a room a little before the boss, this will allow you to approach the fight in great shape.
- These enemies don't have vulnerabilities, so you can take an Elemental Materia of the type you want. Avoid Lightning, the dog having a slight resistance. Ice is also not a very good idea given the mobility of these enemies. Equip the Basic Affinity Materia on armor with Lightning Materia can greatly reduce the damage taken.
- We strongly advise you to equip the Barrier Materia as well as that of parade. This will make the fight much easier.
- Healing and Time Materia will help you hold on more easily.
Rufus & Darkstar abilities
Darkstar
- Lightning: A long-range lightning spell. Do not underestimate this dog.
- Mega-Care : As long as Darkstar is alive, he will heal Rufus. So you have to kill him first. The good thing is that if you damage Rufus a little bit in passing, you will have an opportunity to attack the dog while he is casting his spell.
- Whirlwhip: Darkstar will jump in the air and slam down on the target.
- Corkscrew: Darkstar will lash forward and attack multiple times directly ahead of it.
- Subdue: Darkstar will leap at the target to attack.
- Combined attack : Rufus and Darkstar attack you at the same time, which will greatly reduce your life if you do not dodge.
Rufus
Note : Rufus only uses a small part of his techniques while his dog is active.
- Master and dog : As long as Darkstar is nearby, Rufus gives him a bonus which reduces the filling of the stagger bar. He will also assist him with his attacks.
- Follow-Up: Shotgun attacks in combination with dog attacks.
- Guns Akimbo: Rufus fires multiple quick volleys at a distanced target.
- Think Fast: Rufus will fire bullets creating huge explosions. It"s better to block this attack.
- Reload : Rufus must regularly reload his weapon. This gives you a melee attack window during which he cannot counter attack.
- Bright Lights: A long-range lightning spell if you stray too far away while the dog is still active
- Up in Smoke: Triggers a smoke screen that makes you lose your target and lower your guard.
- Thunderclap: Triggers electrical zones at the feet of Rufus. If you were in melee at this time, you will be paralyzed and therefore vulnerable to attack. Cannot be blocked.
Combat
- The fight against Rufus can be terribly frustrating if you do it wrong. The first step is obviously to kill his dog. We must try to move it away from Rufus so that the green link that unites them disappears. The famous triple Cloud attack is also a good option, because neither of these 2 opponents avoids or blocks it. In addition, this will cause the dog to heal Rufus from time to time, which will open up opportunities for attack. Don't hesitate to block or even use the counter attack on the dog, but in the second case, it can be complicated with Rufus' shots.
- Once the dog is slaughtered, the real fight against Rufus can begin. You should know that attacking it directly is madness. He will parry and counterattack in a humiliating manner. You have several methods to attack it. The first, and best, is probably to use the unique ability of the last sword found, the counterattack. This will do great damage to Rufus and put him directly into shock. His coin-based attacks, however, can make it difficult at times. If you don't have it, or don't like to use it, you can either attack when he uses his "Cooldown" technique or simply cast attack spells.
- Rufus generally reloads after having moved several times thanks to the retreat of his weapons, that is to say after having made the combined fire. So you know when to approach, and when to prepare to attack.
