The Nibelheim flashback tutorial in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is actually a pretty sizeable slice of game, so you may be wondering if you get to keep all the gear and materia you pick up along the way.
Nope. You don’t. So don’t sweat scouring every area.
The flashback happened five years prior to Final Fantasy VII Remake, so if Cloud wasn’t still carrying them during that game, he certainly won’t be in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Square Enix could have done some handwaving and, say, left them in a box for you to pick up at your leisure, but unless I’ve missed something like that entirely, it doesn’t happen.
But beyond that, there are some extremely important story reasons the would make for really, really big spoilers for why Cloud wouldn’t still have the items from the flashbacks. Really, really important ones that, while they don’t make him having the gear impossible, it does make it more unlikely.
What this means is that you don’t have to search every nook and cranny to find extra gear. While anything you pick up might be helpful during that tutorial, it doesn’t make much sense to go too far out of your way. You can, most likely, clear the tutorial without needing a lot of the bonus gear. Instead, you can just enjoy watching the story unfold while maybe also checking out places that have gotten a glow-up from the PS1 original.
Play at your own pace, just don’t be surprised when your pockets are mostly empty when we shift to the present day.
