I spent 70 hours trying to get the perfect date with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's best girl, and it made me sick to my stomach with nerves

In Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, I have butterflies in my stomach. I'm once again staying at the haunted hotel in the Gold Saucer, and someone has knocked on my door. As I make my way to see who it is, I'm a big bundle of nerves. It's taken me so long to get here, and it feels like everything has been building up to this very moment. After 70 hours, with a myriad of choices made and countless side quests behind me, I'm about to see if my efforts have paid off. Whoever is on the other side of the door will be my Skywheel date. The trouble is, I've had my heart set on one particular party member since I began my adventures with Square Enix's RPG, and I'll be devastated if it doesn't work out. 

As I inch Cloud over to the door and interact with the handle, I feel like I experience what happens next in slow motion. For just a split second, my mind recalls all those blind dating reality shows where they pull back the partition to reveal who's on the other side. I'm too invested now and there's no turning back. It's the moment of truth. Oh my god. This is it. I'm finally going to find out. 

I'm not ashamed to say that when I finally saw my dream date greet me, I emitted a loud cheer and jumped up from my seat. Tifa. It's Tifa. IT'S TIFA. I did it! At last, I'm going to experience the Skywheel scene, and better yet, I get to see it with a character who has stolen my heart. Heck yeah. Getting your preferred date in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth feels like a game of its own, but right now, I couldn't be happier to have pulled it off. 

Date night  

At its core, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is all about bonding. From the responses you pick in conversation, to the synergy moves you use in battle, and the side quests you complete, so much of what you do in the adventure is geared towards deepening your bonds with the members of your party. It's actually what I've been enjoying most about my time with Cloud and co. Not only does it build up a sense of camaraderie and companionship, but it also made me care about the famous cast of characters more than ever before. But of course, the bonds system also ties into the famous Skywheel date, which so many fans remember fondly from the original game. Ever since Rebirth released, I've been keen to see how it recreates the Gold Saucer and the Skywheel moment. But I don't think I'd have been quite as invested about who I experienced it with if it weren't for the way the game prioritizes bonds. 

With an initial date in chapter 8, where someone first comes a-knocking on your hotel door to take in the attractions of the Gold Saucer, I had mistakenly thought I'd secured my desired date long before it actually happened. I think this also upped the stakes for me, because in the lead up to that point, I'd already put so much effort into deepening my bond with Tifa; ensuring I constantly fought alongside her, made ample use of her synergy moves with Cloud, and completed every side quest she was personally invested in. I also saved before every conversation to make sure I picked the best response I could each time. 

Fireworks  

But the actual Skywheel date doesn't happen until chapter 12, so if I didn't put in the same kind of effort over the next four chapters, I may well not get Tifa. In fact, I'd heard from a colleague that this exact sequence of events happened to them – where Tifa had asked them to go around the Gold Saucer but didn't show up for the date itself the second time around. Fortunately, as a huge fan of visual novels and RPGs with romanceable characters, nothing motivates me quite like romance in video games. And if anything is going to encourage me to keep putting in a lot of effort, it's the chance to deepen relationships. 

In my eyes, going on a date is akin to the ultimate reward, and I'm happy to report that Rebirth certainly delivered in this respect. Without wanting to spoil it overly much for those still trying to reach this point, the entire occasion is a treat. From the theatrically memorable Loveless sequence to the actual Skywheel scene, so much of it had me squealing and kicking my feet. It was totally worth all the hours I'd put into it. 

Fortunately, if you're not as successful at getting your ideal date in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, you have the chance to try again when you've completed the RPG. With the option to revisit chapters, you can experience the Skywheel moment all over again and choose your own date if your bond is deep enough. Even though I would have been disappointed if it wasn't Tifa initially, I've come to really love and care for all the party members during my time in Rebirth. So you can bet I will absolutely be revisiting the Skywheel with other characters once I've wrapped up the story.

How to bond and get a Gold Saucer Skywheel date in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.