What does taking the free potion do in Crisis Core?

The Shinra Building is like Zack's second home so you'll be there quite a bit during Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion. While you're wandering the lobby, you might notice this friendly lady near the entrance/exit offering you a totally free potion because you're in SOLDIER. Sounds nice, but you might be wondering, "What's the catch? What does this 'free potion' actually do?" Well, we know exactly what happens when you take her up on that offer in Crisis Core.

What Does the Free Potion from the Shinra Lady Do in Crisis Core?

Taking that free potion offered by the woman in the Shinra Building lobby is actually a pretty sweet deal with several benefits in Crisis Core. It's not just a simple heal; it fully restores Zack's HP, MP, and AP, clears up some negative effects, and most importantly, grants him the super helpful Raise status for his next battle. Plus she's super easy to find as she's near the main Shinra Building Entrance lobby area. She's usually standing alone, often positioned pretty close to the main exit/entrance doors.

Related: How to get the Magic Pot Summon in Crisis Core

All Effects of the Free Potion in FF7 Crisis Core

So, what exactly happens when Zack chugs this special drink? It does a few really useful things all at once:

• Full Restoration: It instantly brings your HP, MP, and AP all back to their maximum levels. Perfect for a quick top-off before heading out.
• Grants Raise Status: This is the big one! You'll gain the Raise status effect. Think of it like having a Phoenix Down active without using an item.
• Cleanses Stat Breaks: If Zack's stats have been lowered by enemy attacks (like stat break materia effects), this potion will restore them back to normal.
• Resets Limit Status: It also seems to remove any weird limit statuses you might have active, reverting you back to the standard "Normal" state.

What Does Raise Status Effect do in Crisis Core?

The most valuable part of this potion is definitely the Raise status (sometimes called Reraise or Auto-Life in other Final Fantasy games).

• Automatic Revival: If Zack's HP drops to zero while the Raise status is active, he won't get a game over. Instead, he'll automatically revive right there on the spot!
• Minimal HP: Keep in mind, when he revives, he'll come back with just a minimal amount of HP, so you'll need to heal him up quickly. Don't expect a full health bar upon revival.
• Visual Cue: You'll know the Raise status is active because a small yellow feather icon will appear next to Zack's HP bar in battle. This is will disappear when the Raise is used.

This status is incredibly useful, especially when facing tough bosses or challenging missions where getting knocked out is a real possibility.

How Often Can You Take the Potion in Crisis Core?

The lady offers this potion pretty much whenever you talk to her. You can essentially get an unlimited amount over the course of the game. Feel free to swing by and grab one between missions or story events whenever you feel like it.

However, there's a catch: the effects do not stack. If you already have the Raise status active (you see the yellow feather), drinking another potion won't do anything extra. It won't give you a second life or make the effect stronger. You only get one Raise active at a time from this source.

Should You Take the Free Potion in Crisis Core?

Yes, absolutely! There is literally no downside since it's completely free. The full restoration is nice, but the Raise status is the main reason you'll want to grab this regularly. It's a fantastic safety net that can save you from frustrating defeats. Make it a habit to talk to the lady and drink the potion before you head out on potentially difficult missions or story segments.

A Handy Trick for Keeping Raise Active in Crisis Core

Here’s a neat little tip someone figured out. Let's say you go into a tough fight, you have Raise active, and you get knocked out. The Raise effect saves you, but now it's gone. If you happen to get knocked out again in that same fight, you'll get the usual game over screen. BUT, if you choose the option to Retry the fight, the game often resets things to the start of the battle, and guess what? Your Raise status effect will be active again!

So, if you're facing a really brutal encounter, you can almost guarantee starting with Raise by intentionally dying once quickly, using the effect, dying again, and then hitting "Retry." It sounds a bit weird, but it means you can always have that safety net ready for your serious attempts without needing to run back to the Shinra lobby constantly (though grabbing it initially from the lady is still recommended!).

So yeah, definitely make friends with the potion lady in the Shinra Building lobby. That free drink is one of the best buffs you can get!

For more information on Final Fantasy, check out All DMW Effects and Limit explained in Crisis Core and What does the Fat Chocobo Feather do in Crisis Core? on Pro Game Guides.