No. 5 Reactor is a field map in Final Fantasy VII. It is the second mako reactor dungeon in Midgar, explored during the chapter "To the No. 5 Reactor" with a party of Cloud, Barret, and Tifa. The field map is almost identical to that of the No. 1 Reactor, though it has a blue and green tint in contrast to the No. 1 Reactor's brown-ish tint.
Layout[]
Overview[]
No. 5 Reactor is reached through the Sector 4 Plate, as the party arrive directly in the main staircase.
Main staircase[]
Cloud entering the reactor.
The main staircase is the first area the party visits after crawling in through the Sector 4 Lower Plate. The party enters by a metal pipe near the top-right of the room, which can be slid down directly to the bottom floor of the room. The staircase is used to travel up to an elevator to the entrance, while the bottom floor has a door leading to the upper piping.
Piping[]
Upper piping (top) and lower piping (bottom).
The upper piping, entered through a door at the bottom of the main staircase room, is characterized by metallic steam pipes and steel beams. The door from the main staircase leads directly to a set of steps and a gap across to a horizontal pipe (in contrast to the damaged stone wall seen in the upper piping of No. 1 Reactor). At the end of this, a ladder across the pipe leads down to a set of beams and above the core room, which lead to the [lower piping.
The lower piping is directly above the walkway leading into the core, and is reached through a ladder from the upper piping.
Core[]
Core.
The core is a large, piped, electrical machine with a valve at the bottom. It is reached through a single walkway, on which a save point, a ladder up to the lower piping, and an inaccessible door are located. On the core, "1997" is written at the top.
Entrance[]
Outside Sector 5 Reactor.
The entrance is reached through a small elevator, located atop the central structure of the main staircase room. The entrance room has a light-brownish tint, in contrast to the rest of the reactor, and comprises a few rooms leading to the walkway outside the reactor. The gate to leave is controlled by a terminal, and a door unlock minigame is required to open it.
Quests[]
All quests in the reactor occur in "To the No. 5 Reactor", in which the player controls Cloud, Barret, and Tifa with the goal of destroying the reactor. In the reactor, the player must head to the core to plant the bomb, and leave, this time without a timer. Air Buster is fought at the end.
Encounters[]
Battle backgrounds for main reactor areas (top), and the entrance (bottom).
| Encounters | !Areas |
|---|---|
|
Main staircase, upper piping |
|
Lower piping, core |
|
Entrance |
|
Outside Reactor |
The most commonly fought enemies in the first areas are the Smogger, Special Combatant, and Proto Machineguns. Smoggers have fairly high HP and take a couple hits to defeat, but otherwise deal little damage. Special Combatants are more deadly, but have less HP, and can be prioritized first. Proto Machineguns are slow, but have high HP, and take priority over Smoggers. In the later areas of the reactor, Blood Tastes can also be fought, which deal fair damage, but can be defeated in one or two physical hits.
If the player obtained the All Materia from the Beginner's Hall in Sector 7, it can be paired with the Lightning Materia to use Bolt to hit all enemies. This can clear out waves of most enemies in a single move, though doing so relies on MP.
Items[]
| Items | Areas |
|---|---|
| Entrance |
An Ether can be found in a treasure chest in the entrance.
Date mechanics[]
The game has a hidden affection value that determines whom Cloud will go on a date with in Gold Saucer later. The value is determined by the dialogue and party member choices made prior to the date.
Cloud is barely hanging on after the explosion:
- "(Be strong)" (+2 Barret)
- "(I don't know if I can hold on)" (-3 Barret, +1 Tifa)
Musical themes[]
Throughout the reactor, the background music is "Mako Reactor" (魔晄炉, Makō Ro?). In Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- "The Skyscraper of Iron and Steel" plays, and later "Combat" when chasing Hollander.