Chocobo Racing in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth explained
How to unlock Chocobo Racing.
Chocobo Racing in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is one of the many mini-games you can take part in to have a rest from attempting to save the world.
Your feathered friends, the Chocobos, are much more than a means to get around in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth - you can race them to earn Gold Saucer Points and Gil, as well as bragging rights that you're the best Chocobo Jockey around.
Without further ado, we're here to show you how to unlock Chocobo Racing in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth as well as explaining how to choose a Chocobo, Chocobo Gear and all the Chocobo Race Balloon types.
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How to unlock Chocobo Racing in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
To unlock Chocobo Racing in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth you need to complete Chapter 7: All that Glitters. Once you've completed this and unlocked the desert half of Corel, you can return to the Gold Saucer to take part in Chocobo Racing.
How to start Chocobo Racing in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Once unlocked, you can start Chocobo Racing in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth by heading to the Gold Saucer and speaking to the staff member behind the counter in Chocobo Square.
Then, you will be able to choose which rank you want to do. You'll then be able to pick from any of the available tracks for that rank:
You will need to pay a Gil fee to take part in any of the races. Once you've confirmed which track you want to race on, your next task will be choosing your Chocobo.
Choosing a Chocobo to race in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Each Chocobo you collect from the different regions in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will have their own unique abilities for racing and which one you choose to take on the track with you will be a big factor in winning or losing the race.
However, all Chocobos will have the following traits in some form:
- Speed - The higher this is, the faster your Chocobo can go.
- Acceleration - The higher this is, the faster your Chocobo can go.
- Weight - Makes the Chocobo harder to bump or knock but reduces how far they can fly.
- Cornering - Increases how well a Chocobo can navigate corners on the track.
- Intelligence - Determines how effective the Chocobo's special ability is.
- Strength - This trait stops the Chocobo from sliding around the track.
When you get to choose your Chocobo you'll be able to see each one's individual stats in the bottom right corner of the screen.
Then their unique ability, how many races they've competed in and how many they've won in the bottom left corner of the screen.
Chocobo Racing Gear explained in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Also, the gear you put your Chocobo in before a race can impact the end result. As you travel around the different regions you can collect Golden Plumes by repairing Chocobo Stops. These Golden Plumes can then be spent at any Chocobo Ranch on gear for your Chocobos. Out in the wild they simply make your feathered friend look cool, but the gear itself has an entirely different meaning in races.
Each item of gear you buy for your Chocobo will have its own set of traits for Chocobo Racing. After you've picked your Chocobo, you can then equip any gear pieces you've previously bought or unlocked for them. When you select a gear item, it will alter the stats of the Chocobo in the bottom right corner of the screen.
Some pieces will compliment each other, while others will cancel out the benefits of another piece so it's important to pay attention to the stats and the unique qualities of each piece listed in the bottom left corner of your screen.
All Chocobo Racing Balloon types explained in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
In a Chocobo Race you'll come across several different types of Balloons that you can charge into to give your Chocobo a number of different boosts.
Here are all of the Chocobo Racing Balloon types in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and what each one does.
Dash Balloons (Yellow)
These Balloons add charge to the Dash gauge which can be found on the left side of your screen. When you've completely filled at least one section, you can press R1 to send your Chocobo forward with a quick boost of speed.
However, you can only hold charge for the amount of slots in your gauge. If your gauge is full and you charge into a Dash Balloon, nothing will happen.
Speed Balloons (Blue)
As you collect these Balloons the overall speed of your Chocobo (without any extra boosts like Dash) will increase. You can check your Chocobo's current average speed by looking at the bar on the left side of your screen.
Every Balloon will increase your Chocobo's speed by one and you can reach a maximum speed of ten. Be careful though, if you hit another Chocobo or run into anything else your speed will instantly lower.
Ability Balloons (Red)
Red Ability Balloons will charge up your Chocobo's unique ability. Each Chocobo has their own unique ability that can be used in races, but the way you activate them are the same. When you've collected enough Balloons to fully charge the Ability meter in the bottom left corner of your screen, you can press L1 to activate it.
Tips for winning a Chocobo Race in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Here are a few of our top tips for winning a Chocobo Race in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth:
- Use L and R1 to Drift - When you pull off a Drift for a long time, small flames will appear at your Chocobo's feet. When they appear, it means you'll get a boost of speed once your Drift ends. It's always worth doing as there are plenty of opportunites to Drift in a course and it can give you that final push you need to win.
- Pay attention - Each course will have its own traits, areas to help you, and obstacles to stand in your way. On your first lap, try to pay attention to where everything is so you know which parts you can make use of and other areas to avoid - such as knowing where a boost pad is against knowing which side an obstacle is on.
- Buy Chocobo Gear - This one is more for when you're exploring the world around you. Fix those Chocobo Stops and use the Golden Plumes to get gear at each location you visit. The more gear you own, the more options you'll have for customising your racing Chocobo.
- Avoid other Chocobos - Other Chocobos count as an obstacle. If you bump into one, you'll lose any extra speed you've gained over the lap via Speed Balloons and this can put you behind.
- Practice on Rank III - This is the first rank set you'll be able to play and each race only costs 100 Gil to enter. There are enough tight turns and obstacles on the courses here to make them the perfect practice ground, especially if you want to get better to win the higher rank races.
- Inside Lane - While you're trying to overtake a group of Chocobos try to stick to the inside lane of the track if there's enough space between it and the other Chocobos. So, when others go wide on the track, try to keep your path nice and streamlined.
- Press X on Two - When the countdown to the race begins, press and hold X when it gets to Two. If timed right, you should see your Chocobo lean back a bit and this means you'll start the race with a boost.
- Use the Balloon abilities - There are plenty of Balloons scattered across each track so don't be afraid to use the charges and abilities they give you as soon as they're ready! You can always collect more Balloons as you race around a course.
That's it for now! While you're in Corel, take a look at our page listing all of the Corel Chocobo Stop locations. If you're looking to do some treasure hunting, check out our pages listing all of the Corel Cache locations and all of the Junon Cache locations too.