Unlock Details

Collect all five hidden treasures in Banora and reach Angeal's house before the airstrike during Chapter 2. Before entering the factory, locate and interact with all five glowing treasure spots: three in Banora village and two along the path toward the factory. You cannot collect them yet, but interacting with each location is required. After completing the factory section and the shell-cutting minigame, a 45-second countdown begins. Sprint back toward Angeal's house, collecting all five treasures along the way. Reach the house before the timer expires to unlock the trophy.

Tip

Memorize the five treasure locations before entering the factory. Knowing exactly where to run makes the timed return considerably easier. Zack is fast, but sightseeing during an incoming airstrike is probably best avoided.

Warning

You must inspect all five glowing spots before entering the factory. Missing even one prevents you from collecting the full set during the timed return.

Unlock Details

Correctly guess the exact number of children in the Sector 5 Slums Market guessing game during Chapter 4. After recovering Zack's wallet, speak with the boy offering the number-guessing game. You'll need to guess how many children will pass by, choosing a number between one and six. Ask the boy for his predictions, then ask Aerith for hers. Compare their suggested numbers and select the number appearing in both sets of guesses. Guess correctly to unlock the trophy.

Tip

The game can be repeated, so don't worry if your first guess is incorrect. Using Aerith's predictions makes finding the right answer considerably easier.

Warning

Complete the minigame while exploring the Sector 5 Slums in Chapter 4. Aerith's assistance is only available while she's accompanying Zack.

Unlock Details

Open the path to the Cage of Binding during Chapter 10. While exploring the underground caverns beneath Banora, locate and examine the four gravestones scattered throughout the Depths of Judgement. Next, travel to the Lake of Oblivion and interact with all five glowing crystal formations. Each releases an enemy that must be defeated. Once you've activated all five crystals and defeated their guardians, the route to the Cage of Binding opens and the trophy unlocks.

Tip

Explore the surrounding areas carefully before progressing toward the final boss. The accompanying video will help locate the gravestones and crystals without unnecessary backtracking.

Warning

Complete this objective before finishing the game. Keep a manual save in Chapter 10 so you can return if you overlook one of the required locations.

Unlock Details

Open all six cells on the 67th floor of the Shinra Building during Chapter 4. While exploring Hojo's Fusion Chamber, activate the switch that releases six monsters into the cells below. You'll have three minutes to defeat the monsters, collect their keys, open all six cells, and retrieve the items inside. Equip Steal materia before starting. Each monster carries a Jail Cell Key, so steal its key before defeating it. Once you've collected all six keys, open every cell, collect the items, and return to Hojo within the time limit to unlock the trophy.

Tip

Save before activating the experiment and make sure Steal is equipped. The timer is manageable if you move quickly and avoid unnecessary detours. For once, Hojo's experiment is slightly more stressful for the person conducting it than for the monsters.

Warning

If you defeat a monster without stealing its key, you can lose access to its cell. Reload your save if this happens, and don't leave the area until you've collected everything.

Unlock Details

Rescue everyone calling for help during the attack on Shinra headquarters in Chapter 3. During the assault, Zack enters an elevator that suddenly stops. When given the choice, select the option to get off and investigate rather than immediately rushing to the entrance. Complete the three optional rescue encounters on the SOLDIER floor, then return to the elevator and continue toward the building entrance. Once you reach LOVELESS Avenue, explore both sides of the street and complete the two additional rescue encounters before advancing. After saving all five groups, the trophy unlocks.

Tip

Take the time to explore whenever the game offers a choice between investigating and rushing toward your objective. Being everyone's hero occasionally requires ignoring Shinra's extremely urgent instructions.

Warning

All five rescue encounters must be completed during the Chapter 3 assault. Advancing past these areas without helping everyone will cause you to miss the trophy.

Unlock Details

Help every struggling fan club continue its activities during Chapter 7. Start by speaking with the Genesis fan in the Sector 8 Fountain area. When she mentions financial trouble, suggest merging her fan club with a wealthier group. Visit the Genesis fan in LOVELESS Avenue to arrange the merger, then return to the Fountain area to finalize it. Next, speak with the young boy near the fountain whose mother has abandoned him to follow her favorite SOLDIER. Find his mother at the train station and convince her to return by choosing "A mother without honor is a monster." Return to the boy and his mother to complete the quest and unlock the trophy.

Tip

Complete this alongside Fan Club Aficionado. Apparently, Zack's responsibilities now include saving the world, managing fan clubs, and providing family counseling.

Warning

Both fan club problems must be resolved during Chapter 7 before leaving Midgar. Advancing to Chapter 8 permanently closes this opportunity.

Unlock Details

Defeat all four virtual opponents in Hojo's Training Room during Chapter 3. Visit the Training Room on the SOLDIER floor of Shinra headquarters and speak with Hojo to begin his combat simulations. Complete all four trials, with the final challenge featuring a powerful Behemoth. Defeat every opponent to unlock the trophy.

Tip

The Behemoth attacks quickly, so guarding is often more reliable than constantly dodging. Equip defensive accessories, attack between its combinations, and avoid getting greedy. Hojo apparently considers nearly getting eaten by a monster an acceptable employee assessment.

Warning

Complete all four simulations during Chapter 3 while Hojo is available in the Training Room. Don't advance the story without finishing them.

Unlock Details

Earn the highest speed rating during the materia collection minigame in Chapter 4. After recovering Zack's wallet, speak with the owner of the Item World shop in the Sector 5 Slums Market. He'll challenge Zack to retrieve 20 scattered materia as quickly as possible. Collect every piece and return to the shopkeeper in under 15 seconds to receive the "godlike speed" evaluation and unlock the trophy.

Tip

Memorize the route before attempting the challenge and sprint between materia pickups. You can retry until you achieve the required time. Somehow, gathering materia from the street is more demanding than several of Zack's actual SOLDIER assignments.

Warning

The highest rating is also useful for Good Match For Aerith. Complete the challenge during Chapter 4 before progressing beyond the slums.

Unlock Details

Earn enough affection with Aerith during Chapter 4 for Bruno to declare that you make a good couple. While exploring the Sector 5 Slums, perform optional activities that improve Aerith's opinion of Zack. Important actions include speaking with the three shopkeepers during the search for Bruno, helping the children in the market, purchasing medicine for Bruno, and performing well in the available minigames. You'll also want to achieve the Godlike materia collection rating and create three perfect perfumes in a row. Before leaving the slums, Bruno will evaluate Zack and Aerith's relationship. If he says they make a good couple, the trophy unlocks.

Tip

Complete every affection-boosting activity rather than relying on the minimum required score. Zack might be an excellent SOLDIER, but even he could use a little help figuring out how to impress someone.

Warning

Aerith's affection score is hidden, and several opportunities cannot be repeated after leaving the area. Follow the accompanying video and complete the activities before advancing Chapter 4.

Unlock Details

Receive Lazard's highest evaluation during the assault on Fort Tamblin in Chapter 1. While exploring the fort, defeat all 16 enemy groups before leaving the area. Eleven groups appear along the normal route, while five are hidden behind three rotating doors and two watchtowers. Check your progress before advancing. Once all 16 groups have been defeated, continue through the story to receive Lazard's highest evaluation and unlock the trophy.

Tip

Search every corner of the fort and interact with suspicious doors and towers. Shinra apparently expects Zack to defeat an entire army and uncover its hiding spots before his performance review.

Warning

This trophy is missable. Leaving Fort Tamblin without defeating all 16 groups prevents you from earning the highest evaluation during that playthrough.

Unlock Details

Defeat all 30 enemies during the Defense of the Junon Perimeter sequence in Chapter 6. During the attack on Junon, Zack must protect a large gate from approaching enemies. Intercept each group and defeat every enemy before they reach the entrance. Stay near the gate, prioritize enemies closest to it, and use powerful attacks to eliminate groups quickly. Defeat all 30 enemies without allowing any through to unlock the trophy.

Tip

Lightning attacks are particularly effective against these enemies. Position yourself near the gate and charge forward whenever a new group appears. Zack's officially been promoted from SOLDIER to extremely overqualified security guard.

Warning

If even one enemy gets through, you'll miss the trophy. Reload a previous save and repeat the defense sequence if necessary.

Unlock Details

Create a perfect perfume for Aerith during Chapter 4. After recovering Zack's wallet in the Sector 5 Slums Market, visit the Shopping Paradise store and agree to blend perfume. The shopkeeper will request a specific number of oil drops. Watch the text carefully and count each addition: Drip: 1 drop DripDrip: 2 drops Splash!: 10 drops Stop pouring when you've reached the exact requested amount. Create one perfect perfume to unlock the trophy.

Tip

You can pause the game to count the drops if the messages move too quickly. Making three perfect perfumes in a row also helps with Good Match For Aerith. Apparently, mastering perfume is now part of the SOLDIER training program.

Unlock Details

Infiltrate the mako excavation facility without being spotted during Chapter 5. While exploring Modeo Ravine, Zack must sneak past three Shinra guards to reach the facility. Watch each guard's movements and use the available cover to move between safe positions. Hold the crouch button when hiding behind the designated cover points, and advance only when the guards are looking away. Reach the facility entrance without being detected to unlock the trophy.

Tip

Make a manual save at the nearby save point before starting. Keep moving between hiding spots to prevent Zack's body temperature from dropping too far. Apparently, sneaking around in the snow wasn't difficult enough without having to worry about freezing.

Warning

Being spotted even once prevents the trophy from unlocking. If a guard discovers you, reload your manual save and repeat the infiltration before continuing.

Unlock Details

Prevent the Materia Room from being shut down by collecting and delivering six Mako Stones. During Chapter 2, visit the Materia Room on the SOLDIER floor of Shinra headquarters before departing with Tseng. Speak with the researcher to unlock the Mako Stone missions. Complete Missions 8-2-1 through 8-2-6, collecting all six Mako Stones. Return to the Materia Room and deliver each stone to the researcher. After handing over the sixth stone, the department is saved and the trophy unlocks.

Tip

Fire materia is particularly useful against several enemies in these missions. Completing the mission chain early also provides valuable materia for Zack's growing collection.

Warning

You must unlock the mission chain by speaking with the researcher while the Materia Room is accessible. Don't rush into the Chapter 2 story mission without visiting him first.

Unlock Details

Receive Hojo's highest evaluation during his experiment in Chapter 4. Inside Hojo's Fusion Chamber, interact with the large glass chamber at the end of the walkway. Hojo will ask Zack three questions about SOLDIER and Shinra. Choose the following answers in order: A SOLDIER operative like Sephiroth State-of-the-art science and technology A person unafraid to challenge Shinra After selecting all three answers correctly, Hojo will declare Zack a SOLDIER member of significant worth, unlocking the trophy.

Tip

The questions are straightforward once you know the answers. Just remember that Hojo's definition of a valuable employee is probably not something you'd want on your résumé.

Warning

This opportunity is only available during Chapter 4. Save before entering the chamber in case you accidentally select an incorrect answer.

Unlock Details

Achieve 100% recovery using the Mako Recovery Unit during Chapter 4. While exploring Hojo's Fusion Chamber in the Shinra Building, interact with the Mako Recovery Unit beside Hojo. The machine begins a countdown from five, but its display stops working after three. You must manually activate the switch at the exact moment the hidden countdown reaches zero. Successfully time the switch to achieve 100% recovery and unlock the trophy.

Tip

Count the remaining beats in your head after the display disappears. You can retry the experiment until you achieve a perfect result, so there's no need to settle for anything less than 100%.

Warning

Finish this challenge before leaving Hojo's Fusion Chamber in Chapter 4. You cannot return later to use the machine.

Unlock Details

Defeat all four opponents in the Shinra Building's physical fitness test during Chapter 5. Visit the Training Room on the SOLDIER floor and speak with the scientist conducting the squat competition. Zack must defeat four increasingly difficult opponents, ending with a SOLDIER 2nd Class operative. Press the prompted button when Zack reaches the lowest point of each squat. Successfully chaining repetitions increases his speed, allowing him to perform more squats before time runs out. Defeat the fourth opponent to unlock the trophy.

Tip

Focus on the rhythm of Zack's movements rather than repeatedly pressing the button. The final opponent typically completes 53 squats, so maintaining your combo is essential. Saving the world can wait; apparently, Shinra needs to know who has the strongest legs.

Warning

Complete all four squat challenges during Chapter 5 before leaving Midgar. The rewards are also required to construct one of Aerith's flower wagons for Midgar Full of Flowers.

Unlock Details

Successfully cut down all 10 incoming shells during the Banora airstrike sequence in Chapter 2. After completing the factory section, Zack must intercept a series of incoming artillery shells using his sword. Watch each approaching shell carefully and press the attack button when the blue targeting indicator appears. Successfully strike all ten shells without missing any to unlock the trophy. The final shell has slightly different timing, so stay focused until the sequence is completely finished.

Tip

Watch for the blue targeting indicator rather than trying to memorize the timing. Zack might be talented enough to slice artillery shells out of the air, but even SOLDIER training doesn't make guessing a particularly good strategy.

Warning

Missing even one shell prevents the trophy from unlocking. If you make a mistake, reload the latest autosave and repeat the sequence before progressing.

Unlock Details

Collect all 10 treasure chests during the waterfall minigame in Chapter 9. After the story encounter involving Genesis and Hollander in Gongaga, remain in the area and complete at least seven random battles. When you attempt to leave, a minigame becomes available where treasure chests and enemies rush down the waterfall. Collect all 10 chests while avoiding the enemies to unlock the trophy. The chests follow a repeating pattern, appearing in the center, left, and right positions.

Tip

Watch the pattern and move carefully between the incoming enemies. If you fail, you can trigger another attempt by completing seven more battles. Apparently, Gongaga's waterfalls have a surprisingly generous treasure delivery service.

Warning

Missing a chest or colliding with an enemy can ruin your attempt. Complete this activity before leaving Gongaga during Chapter 9.

Unlock Details

Find and expose all six Wutai spies hiding throughout Midgar during Chapter 5. Begin by speaking with the SOLDIER 2nd Class operative in LOVELESS Avenue. He'll explain that six Wutai spies have infiltrated the city and provide clues to their identities. The spies are disguised as ordinary civilians, Shinra employees, and even a child. Locate them across LOVELESS Avenue, the Sector 5 Market, Shinra headquarters, the Sector 8 Fountain area, and Sector 6 Park. You must uncover the spies in the correct sequence, speaking to each suspect three times to expose their identity. After identifying the sixth spy, the trophy unlocks.

Tip

Follow the accompanying video to locate each spy without repeatedly searching Midgar. Completing this quest also rewards Walnut Wood, an important component for Midgar Full of Flowers.

Warning

Finish the investigation before leaving Midgar. The spies must be uncovered in order, and missing the quest prevents you from obtaining the Walnut Wood required for the flower wagon trophy.

Unlock Details

Prevent every Gun Bull Head robot from escaping during the sniper minigame in Chapter 9. While escaping through the Nibelheim outskirts, you'll encounter eight sniper rifle stations. Use them to destroy the approaching robots before they flee. Defeating robots earns points that can be spent upgrading your rifle's damage, accuracy, and targeting capabilities. You can also earn upgrade points by defeating robots in regular encounters between stations. Clear all eight sniper sections without allowing a single robot to escape to unlock the trophy.

Tip

Farm upgrade points between sniper stations and prioritize maximum rifle damage. Smart Bombs are especially useful against tougher targets such as Biggs and Wedge. Even Zack could use a little help from modern technology.

Warning

One escaped robot is enough to fail the trophy requirement. There are no checkpoints within the sequence, so reload your previous save if anything escapes.