Final Fantasy VII Remake: Here’s how to increase stagger to 200% for Intel Challenge 12

Tifa is the key

Final Fantasy VII Remake offers up some really tricky challenges as part of an ongoing series that lingers throughout the game.

It’s imperative that you complete them as soon as possible: not only so that you can reap the materia rewards, but unlock subsequent new challenges that grant even better rewards. Cloud would run the rat race like that.

Here’s how to complete Intel Challenge Report #12, one of the more confusing tasks in the set.

Light non-story spoilers for two optional encounters incoming.

Roughly halfway through the game, players will be charged with finishing up Intel Challenge #12. If you complete every challenge up to then, you’ll unlock the Leviathan VR fight, which earns you the Leviathan summon materia. But to get there, you need to clear challenge 12: “The Stagger Effect Pt [Part] 4.”

This challenge asks players to run up an enemy’s stagger meter to 200% (thus increasing the stagger damage). The problem is, only certain attacks and abilities actually enhance the meter. Here is the easiest way to work around that.

Make sure that you have Tifa in your party and head to Chadley to queue up a VR fight. Pick the Fat Chocobo. Simply dodge its stomps and hit it with everything you’ve got to pressure it, then use your focus abilities to stagger it quickly. Once it’s staggered, swap to Tifa. Run up to the Fat Chocobo and mash Triangle to uppercut it into oblivion. Each uppercut will raise the stagger gauge by a few percent. As long as you’re quick to pilot Tifa, you can easily reach 200% in no time.

Technically this can be done on any enemy in the game, but the Fat Chocobo is one of the easiest foes to stagger and stays staggered longer. Plus, it can be queued up at any time in Chadley’s VR menu.

You can also opt to use Aerith’s Ray of Judgment ability to raise the stagger percentage, but Tifa’s method is a more reliable way to get it to 200%.