Party: The party, Barret alone for Dyne, and Zack in two interludes.
Key unlocks: The Gold Saucer squares and their GP, chocobo racing, 3D Brawler, the Musclehead Colosseum, Umbral Blade and Vulcan Cannon, and Cait Sith, met but not yet playable.
Watch for: Winning against Dio at 3D Brawler is a Red XIII relationship point; the companion who joins you for the park is whoever leads at that moment.
1. The Gold Saucer
A theme park with a plot in the basement.
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1
The park
Downstairs to the entrance with the group; Dio at 3D Brawler (win it, for Red XIII); Cait Sith at Ghost Square with Barret.
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2
The Tonberry Suite
Sleep, and a Zack interlude in the room and downstairs.
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3
A companion for the evening
The party member with the highest relationship joins you for the squares: Event, Chocobo, Battle, Speed, Wonderment. Then Skywheel Square and Cait Sith with news about Barret.
2. Corel Prison
Follow Cait Sith down.
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1
Greens for Piko
Three greens from minigames and fights, then the Chocobo Cup race — winning it is the story, and the first race is also Johnny’s Chocobo Bug Boy.
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2
Steal
The Steal materia is in the settlement’s elevator room; take it before you leave.
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3
Dyne
Barret alone, cover-based: shoot from behind the scrap, punish the reload, fire is his only weakness. He fuses with the scrap late on. Umbral Blade for Cloud is in the Dustbowl on the way.
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4
Anuran Suppressor
Palmer’s frog tank, party back together. Lightning; crippling the legs pressures it, a synergy ability or limit break flips it, then hit the belly. Vulcan Cannon by the minivan wreck after the Dustbowl.
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5
The escape
Barret on the vehicle’s gun, then a last Zack interlude in the slums until the explosion ends the chapter.
3. Bosses
- Dyne: Fire, his only weakness, from cover, on the reload.
- Anuran Suppressor: Lightning. Legs, then the flip.
4. Before you leave
Cross-checked
Cross-checked on 16 September 2026 against Game8’s Chapter 8 walkthrough (the park, the companion rule, the greens and the Steal materia) and PowerPyx’s boss guide for Dyne and the Anuran Suppressor. Re-checked on 1 October 2026 against Vandal’s boss page and EliteGuias’ Chapter 8 walkthrough: Dyne is weak to fire alone, not fire and poison. What is still unverified is the only thing reading cannot settle — nobody here has played it.