Hey there, fellow gamers! Let’s talk about the Crunch-Off mini-game in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. It’s the latest addition to the series’ tradition of exercise mini-games, which started way back in 1997 with Cloud’s squats. In Rebirth, Tifa gets to show off her ab strength by facing off against opponents to see who can do the most crunches. It’s not only fun but also a gentle reminder that maybe some of us should hit the gym more often, am I right?

Now, before you start dreaming of those washboard abs, you should know that Crunch-Off doesn’t unlock automatically. You’ll need to complete a couple of side-quests first. Don’t worry, though; I’ve got you covered with all the deets!

How to unlock Crunch-Off

First things first, Crunch-Off takes place in a gym near Costa del Sol in the Corel region. Even though you can visit the gym as soon as the area is accessible, the mini-game won’t be available until you finish the “Bodybuilders in a Bind” side-quest. But wait, there’s more! This quest has its own prerequisite: the “Rendezvous in Costa del Sol” side-quest, which you can find in Chapter 7.

Bodybuilders in a Bind

Once you’ve wrapped up “Rendezvous in Costa del Sol,” head over to the job board in Costa del Sol to pick up “Bodybuilders in a Bind.” This quest is pretty straightforward – just take out four groups of monsters in the area. Pro tip: use Assess to find out each enemy’s weakness. After you’ve dealt with the baddies, head back to the gym for your first taste of Crunch-Off. Even if you only manage the easiest reward, you’ll still complete the quest.

Crunch-Off tips and tricks

Now, let’s talk strategy. Crunch-Off is all about using the shoulder buttons to perform crunches in a specific pattern, trying to outpace your opponent. The button indicators will appear over Tifa, showing you when to hit the next button. Sounds simple, right? Well, here’s the catch: the indicators will start to fade away, so you’ll need to memorize the pattern and keep it going throughout the game.

Crunch-Off tips and tricks

You can chat with Amina (the girl in blue) for some warm-ups or Ronnie (the guy in orange) for the full mini-game experience. As the competition heats up, you can speed up your pattern, but be careful! If you press a button too early, you’ll lose your rhythm and have to start over, giving your opponent a chance to pull ahead.

Keep an eye out for color changes in the button indicators. A green circle means you’ll need to hold the R2 or L2 button halfway for a moment before pressing it all the way down. A yellow circle means you’ll need to tap that button repeatedly to finish the rep.

The DualSense’s adaptive triggers add some immersive resistance to the mini-game, but if you find it too challenging, feel free to turn this feature off. And if you’re using a DualSense Edge, changing the travel distance of the buttons might make things harder or even impossible.

One last piece of advice: try to ignore the crunch counter at the bottom of the screen. Focus on the buttons while they’re visible and get into the rhythm of the game. Staring at the numbers can be distracting and might throw you off your game.

Once you’ve mastered Crunch-Off, maybe it’s time to take those exercises into the real world. I’ve even got an hour-long remix of the battle music from Remake and Rebirth’s exercise mini-games to keep you motivated. Just remember, this song alone won’t help you run a 5k every day without risking injury – trust me, I learned that the hard way!