Should You Set 20 Minutes or 30 Minutes for the Bomb Timer?

This is a guide to whether you should set 20 Minutes or 30 Minutes as the setting for the bomb timer in Chapter 1 of the game Final Fantasy 7 Remake (FF7R). Learn what the differences are between these settings, which is the best time to set and what rewards you can receive for the time you set.

What is the Bomb Timer?

Barret goads Cloud upon setting the timer

Before fighting the Scorpion Sentinel in Chapter 1, Cloud and Barret will place a bomb and set the timer. You'll have the choice of how long to set the timer, for either twenty minutes or thirty minutes.

Chapter 1: The Destruction of Mako Reactor 1 Story Guide & Walkthrough

Difference Between the Settings

Length of the Timer

As you might expect, changing the setting of the timer will affect the real-time clock which ticks down while escape from Mako Reactor 1. If you don't escape from Mako Reactor 1 within the time limit, your party will suffer a Game Over.

Receive an Ether and 2 Hi-Potions from Jessie

If you chose 20 Minutes for the bomb timer setting, you'll get an extra reward from Jessie near the start of Chapter 2. She'll give you an Ether and two Hi-Potions as a “reward for being so brave.” These should be a big help in getting through the chapter, which has no shops or vending machines available.

Chapter 2: Fateful Encounters Story Guide & Walkthrough

What is the Best Time to Set?

20 Minutes

Even on Normal Mode, the escape from Mako Reactor 1 should only take somewhere from five to ten minutes. It's highly unlikely that it will take twenty minutes, much less thirty minutes, to escape – your HP will be your primary concern, not the remaining time.

Because you'll get a bonus Ether and two Hi-Potions from Jessie for choosing 20 Minutes, it's definitely a good idea to opt for the shorter timer, to receive these items essentially for free.

Story Walkthrough Related Links

All Dialogue Choices