Final Fantasy VII Rebirth review for Nintendo Switch 2

The Switch 2 is a surprisingly powerful mobile console, enabling updates to some older titles like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom for their performance and visuals. This increased power means more recent titles getting releases on the platform, such as when Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade released some time back. It honestly surprised me hearing that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was getting a Switch 2 port because it was a PS5 and PC title. This isn’t to say I thought it would run bad, just look at Cyberpunk for instance. After spending some time with this port, there’s plenty to talk about.

The big two things to consider when looking into the Switch 2 version of a multiplatform game are going to be the framerate and the visual fidelity. Let’s be honest with ourselves here, you’re not picking the Switch 2 version of a game for it to be 4K super high definition at 120 frames per second. If you’re picking up the Switch 2 version, you’re probably like me and want that game to be portable with acceptable visuals and performance. Luckily, in my time spent with FF7 Rebirth, I didn’t really notice any performance hitches in gameplay. You might see a drop here and there during intense combat situations thanks to all the fancy particle effects and whatnot, but otherwise it’s generally stable the whole way through. Even in handheld mode the game runs at a smooth 30 frames per second.

The visuals do take a noticeable hit on the platform, but honestly they still look good enough. If you really take the time to look at everything you’ll definitely notice the scaled down visuals, but otherwise it’s a nice 720p scaled up to 1080p with DLSS. There’s no repeats of the fabled Final Fantasy VII Remake door texture that looks like it just wouldn’t load, either. You’ll notice it mostly with the characters’ hair and especially so if there’s any kind of lighting hitting them. There’s noticeably less map clutter to help keep the Switch from having to render too many objects at once as well. I did have sporadic lighting issues here and there though. Periodically, it would be like God himself would shine the light of heaven directly into my eyes, turning the game nearly completely bright white. Whether this was an issue with the Switch 2’s HDR, the game’s implementation of said feature, or just a bug with the lighting itself is something I cannot confirm, but it was pretty jarring. Nothing like walking out of a darker cave and being called by the big man himself with the brightest of flashbangs. Generally speaking, however, Rebirth does hold its own on the Switch 2.

You’re getting the full Final Fantasy VII Rebirth experience on the Switch 2, so if you’re someone that wants to be able to play on the go, you’re not losing out on anything here. Any updates made as far as quality of life and whatnot are clearly evident here, as well as a new “head start” mode that’ll boost you to level 50 and give you some other helpful bonuses if you just want to play it in something adjacent to a New Game Plus. Even if you’re someone that may struggle with action games or just want an extra edge while enjoying the story, this should be a very helpful option.

As a complete package, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for Switch 2 excels where it needs to. It makes some necessary compromises with the visuals and general map object clutter, but it’s a small price to pay for being able to experience the second stage of Final Fantasy VII’s remake trilogy. It plays well on the Switch 2 Joy Con 2 controllers, even when they’re not slotted into the grip, it runs generally at a stable 30, and introduces the new Head Start mode for players that just want to coast through the story and relax. To top it all off, you’re getting this complete package for $50, so you’re getting it even cheaper than someone that might’ve played on release. You’ll notice some bundle deals with Remake as well, so keep an eye out if you’re looking to jump into Final Fantasy VII’s remake saga. If you’ve already played FF7 Remake on Switch 2 and were looking into the sequel, you won’t be disappointed.

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