Crisis Core on November 4th

I finally had some patience to play Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII again. I left off last time at Banora, Genesis’ hometown, and Zack Fair entered the Depths of Judgment which is some sort of cave or something. The way it looked, I figured Zack would get lost, and I had played the game for a while, so I went to the first save point I could find and stopped playing. So for this latest session with Crisis Core, I wanted to focus on exploring the area and getting any treats (translation: treasure chests) lying around.

Zack kept being interrupted by these winged monsters and these egg-shaped heads that looked like baby Ike from South Park. Sometimes these guys pop up right after defeated the last bunch of enemies.

I had to use the map a whole lot this time. It’s like a maze in there!  Zack kept getting lost, and when I thought I knew where I was going, I checked the map and Zack would be completely turned around. What gives?! I wanted to go to this area that I thought I didn’t check out yet, and it’s another chamber in the cave with a lake inside.  There were a couple of mako fountains.  I had Zack take the treasure that was near it, and then had him examine the mako. It turns out it was a trigger for a sub-boss fight with this creature that used to be human but isn’t anymore.  This guy had +58,000 HP, and it just was not easy to fight.  I think I had the wrong set of Materia: Thundaga, Cura, Barrier, Libra, and Vital Slash.  I needed another offensive magic materia.  So before I ended up fighting another one of those boogers, I unequipped Vital Slash and equipped Graviga.  It is the only Graviga material that I have, and I didn’t try it yet, so I thought it would be very helpful.

Damn right it was!  I should have had Zack equip the Graviga materia several sessions ago (so like, six months ago).  That thing reduces the enemy’s HP down to one half.  I tried that on the human/beast sucker, and it took off 9,999 HP several times! And this guy had +68,000 HP; I was worried I’d struggle during the entire battle, but the new materia made things so much easier. It really helped that Zack casts Barrier on himself and defends himself constantly until there is an opening for him to attack.  I did that with the first sub-boss there, but it was tedious without Graviga equipped.

I think I have over 12 unused Thunder materia… O___O 

Speaking of Materia, Zack found some funky materia in this place; Light Materia, Heaven Materia, and others.  I couldn’t find them in my materia list, and then realized that they must have been Key Items, and found I was right.  I found the area where I am supposed to gather them together and put them onto this thing that might open the big door ahead. I needed seven; I only had five.  So I had Zack try to find the last two.

I ended up in this jail/prison place where there was a key that is needed to open the gate.  Behind the gate is the Howling Fang, an eventual boss. I examined the gate, and Zack says “I need a key…”

Gosh darnit. I got lost several times, fought loads and loads of interrupting battles (I had Zack escape a couple but had to fight the rest) and after all that and finally getting somewhere he realizes he needs a key. Where can I find that f***ing key?!!!!

Well, there are a couple of rooms with elevators in this general cave area. Maybe I have to check those out. But next time.