This week marks the debut of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on the Switch 2 and Xbox Series. Square Enix has finally brought the once PlayStation-exclusive remake to every platform, a decision that simply makes the most sense when you need to sell 10 million copies to break even or make a profit.
Earlier this year, Final Fantasy 7 Remake landed on the Switch 2, and it was pretty damn impressive. Despite some hardware limitations, the game itself ran well and delivered the same memorable experience through the sectors of Midgar as on consoles.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth For The Switch 2 Is Downright Impressive
The real test would be how its sequel fares on the Nintendo Switch 2, and I was pretty optimistic it would deliver a viable port that lets you enjoy the story without many hurdles. And I’m glad it worked out, mostly.
I say this as a compliment because the jump from the Switch to the Switch 2 was immediately apparent — Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth feels at home on the hardware. No cloud version or workaround is needed to play what I consider an ambitiously weird iteration of Final Fantasy 7. It works out of the box, it holds a steady frame rate, and the concessions that were made do not affect the experience greatly, that is, if you can handle texture pop-in and asset streaming on the go.
The Switch 2 port is great, and despite my qualms, it is a testament to the technical wizardry Square Enix mustered to get a game of this size onto the hybrid console. Scenes like the Nibelheim flashback with Cloud, Tifa, and Sephiroth hold up exceptionally well, and the in-game models are pretty impressive. There are moments where these models get pixelated when you’re talking to them, but then they sort themselves out.
I’m not sure if it’s just me, but there are moments when I felt the HDR actually worked against the game, namely in close quarters where models have this glow around them, but I spent a lot of my time in handheld mode, going back and forth to docked once I hit the Mythril Quarry.
The thing is, despite the obvious technical hurdles I’ve mentioned, I had a hard time putting the game down. Each chapter is seared into my memory, and as I sat down to review the Switch 2 port, time just melted away. The Nibelheim flashback sequence? It’s still a wonderful bridge between the events of Remake. Then, as you’re given the freedom to explore Kalm and the surrounding Grasslands, the game starts to show you what the rest of the game has to offer, but it’s best experienced at home docked.
No Compromises To Keep
The port doesn’t have many graphical options. What it does have is DLSS technology, and the port takes full advantage of it to get Rebirth running. Even at a lower resolution, the AI upscaling does some impressive heavy lifting. In open areas, the image appears softer, and textures lack clarity, especially compared to the PlayStation 5 version. Again, the concessions made to get this working on the hardware feel justified, especially when they’re across the board and in places that don’t meaningfully affect the game.
My concerns temporarily abated as I pressed onward to Junon, through Corel, and all the way to Northwood. The cast is wonderful together the entire time, too. Cloud’s demeanour as a goofy but serious leader is one of my favourite performances in the game. Barret’s hard surface in Remake breaks apart to show his true self, and he holds the team together as the father figure. Aerith brings a sense of wonder and spirituality, while Tifa is the group’s sister and the team’s empathic core. Red XIII and Yuffie are the younger siblings and comedic relief who want to do good, while Cid and Vincent are the team’s veterans and reluctant heroes pulled back into the fight. Then there’s Cait Sith. I really don’t have much to say here.
The further into the story I got, the more compromises kept popping up. Moments where I’d hit a vista on the PlayStation 5 left me in awe. On Switch 2, the very same places had less greenery and more jagged textures. The pop-up filling in patches of grass as I moved around to explore was met with characters losing their finer details. Once you’re given a Chocobo to ride, things get muddled, and it’s mostly about how vegetation comes and goes as you move through the open areas.
For those who’ve played Rebirth elsewhere, Steeamlined Progression is worth using if you only want to experience the story again. In a series of toggles, you can adjust unlimited health, magic, limit, and ATB gauge in battles, max damage, easier weapon acquisition, and a few other ways to customize your gameplay experience, like double XP and triple AP gain, max gil, and max materia levels.
Thankfully, if you’re a Queen’s Blood sicko like I am, you’ll be happy knowing that the card game made famous is here, and it’s spectacular. I spent a lot of time playing it on PlayStation 5, and that’s still true on the Switch 2. The card game hasn’t changed between ports, but if I’m honest, it’s nearly perfect in its current state. Being able to play one of my favourite new card games on the couch is a bonus in my book.
Verdict
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a remarkable achievement for Square Enix. As far as ports go, a lot of under-the-hood wizardry is required to get a game of this magnitude to run on the hardware and even more experience to get it to run well. There are clear visual compromises, so be aware of the drawbacks before deciding where to play this game. And don’t get me wrong, this game is still pretty stunning, and it plays well, so I don’t feel the drawbacks diminish what an otherwise great experience it is.
[The publisher provided a copy of the game for review purposes.]
Reviewed on: Switch 2
