Final Fantasy VII Rebirth introduces a vast world filled with secrets and challenges, among which the Protorelics stand out as particularly intriguing. These mysterious artifacts, scattered across various regions, are intrinsically linked to Chadley's Phenomenon Intel activities. Successfully collecting all World Intel, including these elusive Protorelics, is a prerequisite for crafting all Materia from Chadley, a crucial step towards achieving the Materia Completionist trophy. The Corel region, in particular, presents a unique set of Protorelic challenges, often involving intricate minigames and requiring specific progression through the game's narrative. This guide aims to meticulously detail the Corel Protorelic quest chain, ensuring players can navigate its complexities and secure these valuable collectibles.
The Enigmatic Nature of Protorelics and Corel's Unique Trials
Protorelics are peculiar objects found throughout Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's expansive world. Their exact purpose and origin remain shrouded in mystery for much of the game, but the quests to acquire them are a significant undertaking, spanning the entirety of the game's runtime. The Corel region's Protorelic quests are known for their distinctive nature, diverging from the more straightforward "go here, do this" objectives found elsewhere. These quests often involve a series of interconnected tasks, requiring players to first locate and activate Cactuar Rocks, which then lead to unique minigames or trials.
The Corel Protorelic quest chain is notably one of the most unusual in the game, characterized by its segmented progression, with certain objectives only becoming available after specific story beats. Players will find that the first two Protorelic objectives in Corel can be tackled as early as Chapter 9, "The Planet Stirs." However, the latter two are locked until Chapter 12, "A Golden Key," after a significant story event. This phased unlocking mechanism ensures that players engage with these challenges as they progress through the narrative, rather than being able to complete them all at once.
Corel Protorelic Phenomenon Intel 1: Treasure Protector G
The journey into Corel's Protorelics begins with "Treasure Protector G." The initial step involves locating a specific Cactuar Stone. This stone is found situated atop a hill, just to the east of the Protorelic site itself. Upon interacting with the Cactuar Stone, players will trigger a brief battle, the successful completion of which grants the ability to access the dilapidated reactor where the main challenge resides.
Once inside the reactor, players will encounter a character named Kid G, who presides over the first "Cactuar Crush" battle. This minigame requires players to control Yuffie and amass as many points as possible within a set time limit by defeating various Cactuar enemies. The strategy here is to leverage Yuffie's unique abilities. Her Elemental Ninjutsu allows her to switch between magic and physical damage, which is crucial for exploiting the weaknesses of different Cactuar types. Some Cactuars are only susceptible to magic, while others require physical attacks. Players are advised to use Yuffie's regular attacks against physically weak Cactuars and her shuriken, empowered by Elemental Ninjutsu, against magic-weak ones.
Furthermore, special "rainbow-colored" Cactuars appear periodically. Targeting these enemies is vital as they extend the time limit, providing more opportunities to rack up points. Players should also be mindful of Gigantuars, which award substantial points, and Gold Cactuars, which also offer a higher score than regular variants. The ability to switch between Yuffie's ranged and melee attacks, alongside her Elemental Ninjutsu, is key to efficiently clearing the field and maximizing the score. Abilities like Windstorm, which deals area-of-effect Aero damage, can be particularly useful for rapidly clearing groups of enemies.
Corel Protorelic Phenomenon Intel 2: Kid G's Trial
Following the successful completion of the first trial, players can then proceed to "Kid G's Trial." The second Modular Reactor, where this challenge takes place, is located in the eastern part of the region, near a Chocobo Stop. To access the associated Cactuar Rock, players will need to climb a cliff wall, following the distinctive yellow-painted blocks that lead to the stone's perch.
Upon unlocking the trial and initiating the second round of Cactuar Crush, players will find themselves in control of Aerith. Her abilities in this minigame are tailored to the new challenges presented. Aerith can create Light Wards (activated with L2) and Dark Wards (activated with R2). These wards empower her basic attacks when she stands within them, allowing her to quickly dispatch Cactuar types that are weak to either light or dark-aligned damage.
Similar to the first trial, other Cactuar types, including the green (physical-weak), orange (magic-weak), and rainbow (time-extending) variants, will still appear. The core strategy involves observing the Cactuar types and strategically placing Aerith's wards to exploit their weaknesses. For lighter-colored foes, a Light Ward is ideal, while darker-colored enemies necessitate a Dark Ward. By standing within these auras, Aerith's attacks become significantly more potent, enabling faster takedowns. After completing this challenge, Kid G will inform the player that he is still preparing his next trial, indicating the narrative-driven progression of the Corel Protorelic quest line.
Corel Protorelic Phenomenon Intel 3: Unfriendly Competition
The third Protorelic node, "Unfriendly Competition," becomes accessible only after completing the first two Corel Protorelic trials and, crucially, finishing Chapter 12 of the main story. Once these prerequisites are met, players can locate the Cactuar Rock for this node. It is situated southeast of the Scrapyard Prison Cell, accessible through a cave large enough to accommodate the buggy.
After activating the Cactuar Rock, the Modular Reactor will unlock, initiating a new round of Cactuar Crush. This time, players will once again take control of Yuffie. While the core mechanics remain the same, the score targets are higher, and the types of enemies spawned may differ slightly. To meet these increased demands, players should continue to leverage Yuffie's versatile skillset. Utilizing her weapon abilities, such as Doppelganger and Banishment, can significantly aid in dealing the increased damage required to achieve the higher scores. As before, paying attention to enemy weaknesses and switching between physical and magical attacks is paramount. The presence of Gigantuars and Gold Cactuars, which offer more points, should be prioritized. Cactuars can also transform into Magituars and vice versa, so players must remain vigilant and adapt their damage output accordingly.
Corel Protorelic Phenomenon Intel 4: Bladesman of Legend
The final Corel Protorelic node, "Bladesman of Legend," requires players to locate a well-concealed Cactuar Rock. This can be found by traveling to the eastern edge of the Corel desert. A nearby Chocobo stop serves as a convenient waypoint. From there, players will notice a series of yellow-marked climbable handholds. Ascending these will lead to an outcropping that faces the sea and is not visible from other parts of the map.
After activating this final Cactuar Rock, the corresponding Reactor will unlock, unveiling the last Cactuar Crush minigame. For this concluding challenge, players will again control Aerith. The strategy remains similar to her previous trial, emphasizing the use of Light and Dark Wards to exploit enemy weaknesses. However, some Cactuars in this challenge will possess a defensive ability called Manaward, which shields them from damage. These Manawarded Cactuars can be broken by using Aerith's mode-exclusive melee attacks.
A key strategy for dealing with tougher enemies, such as Gold Gigantuars, involves observing their "Body Slam" attack. When they execute this move, they often fall face-down, entering a weakened state. During this window, players can cast Aerith's Transcendence I or II abilities, which unleash multiple beams of energy, dealing tremendous damage. This tactic is particularly effective for quickly dispatching these high-scoring, albeit dangerous, foes.
Upon successfully completing this final Cactuar Crush minigame, a cutscene will play, featuring a character Cloud and his companions encountered previously in Midgar. The Sand Giant also makes another appearance. Following this, it becomes possible to engage Kid G in a sparring match, offering a final test of skills learned throughout the Corel Protorelic quest chain.
Unlocking Further Challenges and Rewards
The completion of all four Corel Protorelics is not merely the end of a regional questline; it's a gateway to further endgame content. Successfully navigating these trials, alongside completing all other Protorelic quest chains across the game's regions, and acquiring all Summons at their full strength, unlocks the final two Protorelic challenges. These involve formidable battles against all available Summons and, ultimately, a climactic confrontation with Gilgamesh himself.
The journey through the Corel Protorelics is a testament to the depth and variety of challenges presented in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. From stealth sequences and intricate minigames to narrative-gated progression, these quests demand patience, strategic thinking, and a thorough understanding of the game's mechanics. The rewards, however, are substantial, not only in terms of collectibles and trophies but also in the satisfaction of overcoming some of the game's most unique and engaging obstacles. The ultimate prize for completing these arduous tasks includes the Bladesman of Legend trophy and the formidable Gilgamesh summon materia, a fitting reward for mastering the enigmatic Protorelics.
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tags: #ff7 #rebirth #corel #region #protorelic