Saddle up!
Chocobos have appeared in Final Fantasy games since the late ’90s, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is no different.
What’s more exciting about their inclusion this time around is that chocobos can be ridden across the open-world sections.
With so much to explore, the big yellow birds provide a quicker form of traversal than protagonist Cloud walking on foot, or sprinting across the land like a man possessed.
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Chocobos are also useful for collecting loot and digging up hidden treasures by using their beaks to sniff out the goods.
Not to mention the sight of Red XIII mounting one of the gangly creatures is surprisingly comical – and something that makes unlocking them worth it alone.
The good news is that you don’t even have to wait that long to get your hands on a chocobo. All you need to do is complete an early side quest and away you go. Read on for the full details.
How to get a chocobo early in FF7 Rebirth explained
A chocobo can be unlocked in the first couple of hours of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Specifically, the bird transport can first be encountered in Chapter 2, when the group leave the village of Kalm and make their way across the Grasslands.
Travel across the Abandoned Dock to Chocobo Ranch, where Choco Billy will ask for help finding his favourite chocobo, Piko.
Head outside and follow a path of feathers until coming across three chocobos in a field.
Sneak past the first two without alerting them (keep an eye on the meter) before then picking up a rock to make Piko turn around. Then quickly mount Piko and a cutscene will initiate before the chocobo runs home to Billy.
Upon your return, Billy will state that he needs some time to prepare Piko and friends. At this point, Chadley will arrive to present a list of objectives in the open world. Once that conversation is over, go back to Billy again and the ability to ride a chocobo will become available.
All you need to do is complete some quick training and free reign of Big Bird… we mean Piko in Chapter 2 is yours. Enjoy!
A handy video (see below) from Gamers Heroes explains the process in full, if you prefer a visual aid.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is now available exclusively on PlayStation 5.
Looking to jump into Cloud, Tifa, Barret and Aerith’s latest adventure, make sure to check out the best PS5 deals to pick up a next-gen console in in time for the weekend.
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