Final Fantasy 7 Remake is one of the four free games offered by PS Plus during March 2021, so fans of the series get the opportunity to visit - or revisit - this 1997 PlayStation classic. With 31 boss fights to overcome, including gladiatorial combat with a house from hell, it can be advantageous to review tactics and strategies before the confrontation begins.

The eighth boss in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Hell House is found in the Corneo Colosseum during the mission, “Underground Colosseum,” in Chapter 9. The fight takes place in three phases, between which Hell House substitutes its abilities, weaknesses, and strengths, which makes it advantageous to do some prior planning. Final Fantasy 7 Remake was one of Japan’s top 100 best-selling games in 2020, so there are numerous fans who could benefit from an overview of the battle.

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Players can optimize their gameplay before the start of this mission by following the tips provided in the complete guide for Final Fantasy 7 Remake. In Phase 1, Hell House appears in its basic house form, is immune to physical attacks, and is healed by - or vulnerable to - specific, alternating elements. This means that players should rely on attacks that do magical, elemental damage, but while being mindful of which elements harm, or heal, the house. Players can determine which element restores health to Hell House by observing the color of the windows; if the windows are red, blue, yellow, or green, then Hell House is strengthened by Fire, Ice, Lighting, or Wind attacks, respectively. To maximize damage, players must attack with the opposite element; red versus blue, green versus yellow, and vice versa. 

Players with color blindness, or who may otherwise find it difficult to keep track of the color in the windows, can use “Assess” to confirm Hell House’s active weaknesses and immunities. During this time, players must dodge furniture-based projectiles, avoid the house itself as it jumps around the arena, and remember to keep their characters healed. Hell House also uses the “Hospitality” ability to suck players through the door. Players must take this time to heal that character, as they will be receiving sustained damage for several seconds, before being spat out and taking a large chunk of damage when they land. 

During Phase 1, if Hell House receives an amount of physical damage equal to 1% of its maximum Hit Points, the house will be Pressured for 2 seconds. Occasionally, Hell House casts “Barrier Shift,” which changes its elemental affinity. Players should note the color of the windows, or press their controller’s touchpad to access their assessed intel, in order to determine Hell House’s new elemental weakness and immunity. 

Before long, Hell House retreats into the stands, then uses its “Chair Salvo” ability to launch chairs that target the character the player is currently controlling. Players must survive the storm by blocking or dodging the incoming projectiles until the house returns to the arena floor. Players can take advantage of Final Fantasy 7 Remake's Summon system around the time that Hell House transforms. Large, mechanical limbs, and a vaguely bird-shaped head emerges from the structure, indicating the start of the second phase. 

Taking place when Hell House has between approximately 75-25% of its health remaining, Phase 2 substitutes the house’s elemental weaknesses (and affinity) for a vulnerability to physical damage. Hell House becomes more aggressive, and its physical attacks become more powerful. Final Fantasy 7 Remake players must be mindful of their characters’ health during this transition because the house immediately uses its “Housing Rush” ability to charge at the controlled character.

Hell House uses attacks like Hospitality more frequently during this phase, and occasionally retreats to use Chair Salvo. Players can avoid Hell House by dodge-rolling in a large circle around the arena, attacking when it feels safe to do so. During this phase, the house can be Pressured for 4 seconds after receiving physical damage equal to 2% of its max HP. 

With around 50% of health remaining, Hell House enters “God House Mode,” covering itself in a large shield that drastically reduces all damage, causes Cloud’s physical attacks to bounce back, and makes the house almost immune to Pressure and Stagger damage. Once the shield drops, Hell House is temporarily more vulnerable to Pressure, its arms can be targeted for attack, and destroying the arms causes the house to be pressured for 3 seconds. Players must also be mindful of the “Rocket Charge” ability. Hell House charges up for a moment before propelling itself towards the player, which cannot be blocked and results in massive damage, so players must return to the dodge roll tactic.

Phase 3 begins with Hell House using Barrier Shift again, which now grants more powerful versions of the house’s attacks, but also reinstates the elemental affinity/vulnerability system. Additionally, it uses a combination of abilities called “Heavensward” and “Hellbound.” The house flies around the Colosseum, launching fire crackers and using Chair Salvo; after a three-second countdown, Hell House dives towards the player, which cannot be blocked.

Hell House is Pressured by sustaining damage from the element opposite to its affinity while it’s airborne, so players must stay mindful of the elements they use, fight defensively, and remember the dodge roll. After defeating Hell House, the characters are ushered upstairs where Final Fantasy 7 Remake players must choose an answer to Don Corneo's question.

Completing this battle allows the player to return to the arena at any time to compete in Final Fantasy 7 Remake's Colosseum matches. Finishing the conversation with Corneo advances the story to the next mission, "Parting Ways."

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available now for PS4, and is scheduled to be released on PS5 in June 2021.

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