Shoot an orb of energy that creates a large explosion.
Description
Fire in the Hole is Barret Wallace's level 1 limit break in Final Fantasy VII Remake. It is a physical attack that hits enemies for significant damage, and as a limit break, it requires no ATB to use.
Fire in the Hole resembles Focused Shot. Barret charges a flaming ball of energy while aiming at an opponent, and then releases it in a grand explosion.
Despite resembling Big Shot, Barret's first limit break from the original Final Fantasy VII, its name in Japanese is actually shared with the Grenade Bomb, Barret's first level 2 limit break in the original game.
Mechanics[]
Fire in the Hole has two components: the initial bullet, and the following explosion. The bullet has an attack power of 300, while the explosion has a much greater attack power of 1,400. The explosion also has a launch effect.
Fire in the Hole's damage is on par with Cross-Slash and Somersault.
Use[]
Ain't no limits we can't break!
Barret
Fire in the Hole deals heavy physical damage, which is aimed towards one target but can easily hit nearby enemies as well. Because it has no ATB cost, there is no penalty to using it at any time except for the fact that some enemies can either dodge it, or become immune to physical damage when under Shield. Because it deals physical damage, its damage is based on Barret's Attack Power. The ability has a short animation time.
Fire in the Hole can deal more damage to an enemy that is staggered and takes bonus damage, meaning Barret may choose to wait until a boss is staggered to use it. This is more often ideal for Barret, who can use Focused Shot at 2 ATB charges to build an enemy's stagger gauge, and follow with Fire in the Hole. As Barret's attributes lag behind those of Cloud or Tifa, who also have physical damage limit breaks, Barret is better taking advantage of stagger bonus damage.
Barret can use the Transference Module or Spectral Cogwheel accessories, which increase the limit gauge when he consumes ATB charges or spends MP by casting spells, respectively. However, Barret benefits less from these than Tifa (who consumes ATB more quickly) or Aerith (who casts spells most often), and is less reliant on his limit breaks. If obtained, Götterdämmerung also allows Barret to use Fire in the Hole frequently, though it similarly may be better used on other characters. Though it allows Barret to open battles with Fire in the Hole, this is better saved for Refocus instead.
After obtaining Legacy: Catastrophe, Barret unlocks his second limit break, Catastrophe, which deals significantly more damage and has the added bonus of greatly increasing an enemy's stagger gauge, but also fills the limit gauge slower. Because Barret benefits greatly from equipping Refocus Materia, and equipping Catastrophe will also mean Refocus takes longer to use, Barret is normally better sticking with Fire in the Hole. Additionally, Barret relies less on his damage output, being better at protecting the party, and thus Catastrophe is not necessary.
During the final phase of the battle with Whisper Croceo, Whisper Rubrum, Whisper Viridi and Whisper Harbinger, Barret will use Fire in the Hole on Harbinger in conjunction with Red XIII using Stardust Ray, each time either Croceo, Rubrum, or Viridi are defeated. He will use Fire in the Hole even if the player has set his limit break to Catastrophe.