Final Fantasy VII Remake is finally here on PS4 and PS4 Pro. If you haven’t read our spoiler free review yet, we loved the game. Check out our review here. While the game does a great job of introducing you to new terms through load screens and tutorials, there are a lot of terms you might not catch initially. These are used often during dialogue assuming you already know what they are. If you’ve already played Final Fantasy VII Remake, some of the new story content will likely have more details about things you though you already knew well. Here’s what you need to know about terminology and lore in Final Fantasy VII Remake’s opening hours.
There will be spoilers for some terminology if you have not experienced Final Fantasy VII in any form. There are also spoilers for Final Fantasy VII Remake’s later story segments.
Ancients
The ancients are a mythical race of being that resemble humans. They are also known as Cetra and have a bond with the planet.
ATB
ATB stands for Active Time Battle which is the combat system used in Final Fantasy VII. In Final Fantasy VII Remake, the ATB gauge fills up during combat as you attack and decides when you can use abilities.
Avalance HQ
Avalanche grew big and eventually saw smaller portions split off from the main group. To distinguish itself from those smaller organisations that are growing, HQ was appended to the name. All forms of Avalanche aim to deal with and destroy Shinra.
Avalanche
A resistance group seeking to save the planet from the Shinra corporation that is trying to misuse mako energy. Tifa, Wedge, Jessie, Barret, and Biggs are a part of Avalanche. The divison of Avalanche led by Barret is considered an extremist group by Avalanche HQ.
Chocobo
Chocobo are usually flightless birds in the Final Fantasy universe. In Final Fantasy VII Remake, you can use Chocobo to fast travel later on in the game.
Gil
The currency of Final Fantasy VII Remake. You use this to buy weapons, items, fast travel, and more.
Jenova
An alien that crash-landed on the planet a long time ago. Jenova serves as an important element not just in Final Fantasy VII Remake but in the world of Final Fantasy VII in general.
Mako
An energy source that is being misused by the Shinra corporation to power the city of Midgar. Mako energy is used in materia and in shards you find in your journey.
Materia
Orbs that grant skills and abilities when slotted into weapons. They range from utility ones that improve your skills faster to actual ability granting materia like Ice, Fire, and more. These are scattered all over Final Fantasy VII Remake with more unlocked through Chadley’s Battle Intel missions.
Midgar
Midgar is the capital city and the power base for the Shinra Corporation. It has people living above and below what is referred to as plates. Midgar is split up into different plates and sectors. This is the main location of Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Moogle Medal
Items you collect in your journey that can be traded in for rare items early on in the game.
Skill Points
Skill points or SP are gained after winning encounters with enemies. You can use SP to upgrade your weapons through a variety of options like health, defense, attack, new materia slots, and more.
Summons
Summons are rare materia which you can use to call into combat supernatural beings that help you defeat powerful enemies.
Shinra
An energy company draining the planet of mako energy.
Soldier
A Shinra organisation of special forces that is split up into multiple classes. Cloud used to belong to Soldier.
Vending Machine
Vending machines in Final Fantasy VII Remake let you purchase basic items, sometimes at a discount, and also music discs. These machines are scattered across each area and usually let you recover HP and MP through a bench you can sit on nearby.
Whispers or Arbiters of Fate
These are beings that try and ensure that certain events play out in a specific way and are trying to ensure that the timeline remains constant.
