As an avid Crisis Core fan who has eagerly awaited this remake for years, I was overjoyed to dive back into the rich story of Zack and Aerith. One of my top priorities for this playthrough was strengthening their bond to the fullest. Having played the original game twice before, I was determined to achieve the new maximum affection level possible.
What Does Affection Actually Do?
While the game never outright explains it, raising Aerith‘s affection level impacts quite a lot. Most noticeably, it changes dialogue and unlocks special events depicting their growing bond. At higher points, Zack even receives battle advantages relating to Aerith’s abilities. Here‘s an overview:
- Cutscene frequency: More and extended story scenes focusing on their relationship
- Aerith’s reactions: Extra compliments, concern, caretaking towards Zack
- Battle bonuses: Aerith’s Limit Break charges faster; temporary invincibility after certain attacks
- Gameplay perks: Fewer guesses needed during Chapter 4’s number game
I couldn‘t wait to see all these extra cutscenes and reactions firsthand. And I was curious if max affection might influence the ending or unlock secret post-game content. My gamer intuition said to shoot for the newly expanded cap of 150 points.
Tracking Elusive Affection Points
Since no visible affection meter exists, keeping tabs on points gained/lost is tricky. Through extensive playtesting, the community has deduced approximate values for major interactions. I‘ve compiled those into a handy chart:
| Interaction | Affection Points Earned/Lost | |
|---|---|---|
| Give Aerith flower gift in Chapter 1 | +5 | |
| Respond thoughtfully when Aerith asks personal questions | +3 to +5 | |
| React coldly or harshly during story conversations | -3 to -5 | |
| Complete "Great Date" perfect picnic in Chapter 3 | +15 | |
| Mess up badly on "Great Date" | -10 | |
| Talk to Chapter 4 Merchants (1st time each) | +10 | |
| Repeat "Wait Longer" with Chapter 4 blue dress girl | +10 total | |
| Trade potions multiple times with Chapter 4 blond boy | +2 per trade |
With these estimates in mind, I could roughly gauge my progress and make effective boosting decisions. Next I‘ll share my playthrough‘s path to supreme affection.
Starting Our Love Story Right in Chapters 1-3
As a hardcore fan, I know every aerith interaction opportunity must be optimized from the start. Before even departing for my first mission in Chapter 1, I made sure to give Aerith the lilac flower when prompted. Seeing her sweet smile and joy over this gift filled my heart with +5 affection immediately.
I spent much of Chapters 2 and 3 responding positively whenever presented with dialogue options. Each thoughtful or caring response earned me a nice boost. By previewing my pending scenes, I could actually view the affection perks I had unlocked. When Aerith said she had prepared a picnic lunch for us in Chapter 3, I just knew it had to be result of my efforts so far!
That picnic date ended up being a phenomenal source of affection. I made sure to pack along all of Aerith’s favorite foods, as innocently suggested by some local kids earlier on. Lo and behold, this triggered the ultra-rare “Great Date” event! She raved about how perfectly attuned I was to her tastes. Through answering her subsequent questions about my dreams thoughtfully, I likely earned over +30 additional points. What a lovely jumpstart for our relationship!
Aerith‘s delight during our ideal picnic date earned me tons of quick affection points
Mastering Affection Grinds in Chapter 4
Chapter 4’s opening events initialize the next major affection boosting opportunity. When Zack’s wallet gets stolen, you must explore Sector 5’s market and gather information from various NPCs. I knew these interactions could be repeated to farm insane affection points.
On my first market walkthrough, I made sure to chat with all three highlighted merchants and help the little girl reach her lost mother. Those initial conversations netted +10 each, a solid base.
I then turned my focus to unlocking that precious “Good Match for Aerith” bronze trophy. Based on prior knowledge, this requires 75 affection points. I inched closer by:
- Repeating “Wait Longer” dialogue with blue dress girl (+10 max)
- Trading potions back and forth with blond boy (+2 per trade)
After likely 30-40 potion trades, enough NPC bonds had formed to unlock the trophy on my next story phase transition. Success!
With the trophy done, I proceeded to grind out as many remaining NPC affection instances as possible:
- Kept waiting longer for the lost girl until hitting +10 cap
- Traded potions until the blond boy directly praised my bond with Aerith
- Did a few last information circles with the merchants
I cannot give you definitve thresholds, but after an hour or so of grinding, I noticed especially positive Aerith reactions. She even complimented my eye for fashion (regardless of currently equipped uniform) upon regrouping! These were clear signals I had surpassed 100+ affection and was nearing the maximum.
Benefits of Supreme Affection in Chapter 4
Aside from the usual perks like extra romantic scenes, my incredibly high affection unlocked exclusive advantages in Chapter 4 itself:
- Reduced guesses during number game: Normally Aerith gets 3-5 guesses to deduce the wallet’s 4-digit code. At 150 affection, she pinpointed it precisely in ONLY ONE TRY! I was stunned. Guess our bond gives her psychic clarity?
- Gold saucer date prize: During the chapter’s final phase within the Shinra building, I received a coupon good for one free date at Gold Saucer amusement park! Aerith promises we’ll go together once I’ve wrapped up my next assignment. Very forward of her!
These unexpected gameplay boons prove just how worth it the affection grind was. I cannot wait to see what other secrets such supreme affection unlocks down the road!
My incredible bond with Aerith let her telepathically channel the exact 4-digit wallet code!
My Tips for Guaranteed Max Affection
Based on two full playthroughs now, I can condense my wisdom into definite tips for unlocking max Aerith‘s affection:
- Optimizing early chapters is essential
- Give flower gift in Ch. 1
- Always choose positive dialogue responses
- Ace the Ch.3 picnic date mini-game
- Grind Chapter 4 NPCs for quick points
- Focus on Blond Boy potion trades
- Repeat Wait Longer girl 10 times
- Chat with all merchants
- Save/reload to reset NPCs for endless grinding
- Use chapter recaps to validate progress
- Expect 150+ for best results
As long as you follow this framework, enjoying all the best dating perks is guaranteed. Soon you too can witness the incredible power of ultimate affection firsthand! Fear not the end of our heroes’ fabled journey…with bonds this strong, destiny itself can be defeated!
