Barret is the best long-ranged fighter inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthas the only gun-toting hero. Vincent would be the second but he’s only a support character in story cutscenes. Fans are crossing their fingers that he will be playable in the final game.
Getting back to Barret, he has a gun for an arm, and the backstory as to why is explained inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Also, he can change his parts and all of the gun-arms have abilities attached. Let’s go through the seven Barret can get in the game and rank the abilities out. There will be spoilers on locations for the weapons but not much beyond that.
7Lifesaver (Barrage Blaster)
Become A Defender
The Coal Mines are located in theCorel region ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthand that’s where Barret can find the Barrage Blaster. He can learn Lifesaver from the gun-arm which acts like the Complete Materia called Provoke. Lifesaver will temporarily increase Barret’s HP and then draw enemies toward him.
Provoke will draw enemies toward the equipped character but it will not increase HP. If players combo this move by equipping otherComplete Materia inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthlike HP Up and Vitality Up to Barret then Lifesaver will be worthwhile. Otherwise, it’s just an okay move for him.
6Charging Uppercut (Vulcan Cannon)
Barret’s Shoryuken
The Vulcan Cannon can be acquired right around when Barret is about to face off against Dyne in the Dustbowl area. It’s one of thedeadlier boss fights inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthso Barret could use the extra firepower. He can unlock the ability Charging Uppercut with the weapon.
Barret will charge forward and uppercut an enemy with a rocketed boost into the air. It’s like he is trying to do his best Shoryuken impression which is an iconic attack fromStreet Fighter. It’s a powerful ability but because it’s a melee attack, it doesn’t adhere to Barret’s main strengths.
5Bonus Round (Hi-Caliber Rifle)
Better Bullets For A Better Gun
From the outside, the Hi-Caliber Rifle looks like a laser gun but it still fires normal bullets. The ability attached to it allows Barret to use different ammo funnily enough. This ability, Bonus Round, will substitute Barret’s normal bullets for about fifty different ones that will increase his attack power.
Bonus Round ammo also has a higher chance toStagger an enemy inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Once an enemy is Staggered, they will momentarily stop so that players can beat the snot out of them. In Barret’s case, it would be like shooting the snot out of an enemy.
4Smackdown (Calamitous Bazooka)
Barret Smash!
It’s a bit odd that Barret can get a weapon like the Calamitous Bazooka in the Cave of Gi which has been sealed for decades. Why would there be a gun-arm like this in there? Thinking about chestlogic in an RPGlikeFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthis a fool’s errand.
The Calamitous Bazooka will give Barret an ability called Smackdown. Barret will punch into the ground and cause a blast to erupt in a large area. It’s a great attack to use if Barret is ever surrounded by too many enemies.
3Point Blank (Fafnir Rifle)
Up Close And Personal
In the original game, there was a master weapon smith and collector whom players could visit around the Gongaga area. Going through his side quest would help produce Aerith’s final Limit Break. The character has been retooled a bit and will now buildBarret a weapon inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
The weapon in question is called the Fafnir Rifle and it will grant Barret the Point Blank ability. This is another melee attack but it’s more worthwhile than the Charging Uppercut. Barret will attach his gun-arm to an opponent and then blast them away, literally, sending them flying across the battlefield. The more ATB charges players have, the stronger it will be.
2Focused Shot (Gatling Gun)
A Worthy Mega Buster
The Gatling Gun is Barret’s starting weapon which will give him the Focused Shot attack. Barret will charge up his weapon and then fire a non-elemental blast at opponents. It’s kind of like Barret’s version ofMega Man’s charged Buster attack.
Like Point Blank, players can use this with one, two, or three ATB charges. It has a good range and solid attack power, and it can Stagger enemies more easily. It’s also just cool to see Barret be so deadly and badass up close.
1Turbulent Spirit (Battle Cry)
Become An Ungodly Tank
One would hope that the final weapon of any RPG would produce an accompanying strong ability with it. That is the case for the Battle Cry gun-arm which can be found in the Temple of the Ancients. It has the Turbulent Spirit ability attached to it.
Turbulent Spirit costs two ATB points and it will increase Barret’s ATB charge rate for a limited time. He can only use this once per battle but the recharge rate is incredibly fast. With Turbulent Spirit on, players can rapidly blast out fully powered Focused Shots like they were nothing in a matter of seconds.
