In many ways, playing Final Fantasy VII Remake on the Nintendo Switch 2 feels like coming home.
For one, the core experience is a magnificent reimagining of developer Square Enix’s original Final Fantasy VII, an all-time classic JRPG, so it has both that level of fuzzy nostalgia and excitingly bold array of new twists and turns. But it also reminds me of when I originally played Final Fantasy VII Remake on PS4 and PS5, and that’s a testament to the quality of the Switch 2 port.
First and foremost: it plays at a steady 2K/30fps when docked and 1080p/30fps in handheld mode, the latter of which leverages DLSS upscaling. That’s notable for the Nintendo system because Remake, despite being a nearly six-year-old game, is still breathtakingly gorgeous, with sleek, shiny and impossibly good-looking character models, dazzling multi-coloured particle effects and dizzying camera work in the gloriously over-the-top cutscenes. All of that is upheld remarkably well on Switch 2. (The trade-off, however, is that this version is a whopping 87.9GB, well above the 64GB storage capacity of the console’s physical Game Cards, so it’ll unfortunately take up a lot of download space.)
Obviously, these Switch 2 specs aren’t on the level of the 4K and 60fps options on PS5, PC and the Xbox Series X version that’s launching alongside this Switch 2 port, but they’re still impressive given the hardware. All in all, it looks and runs about as well as I remember it on PS4, with a few small concessions here and there. For instance, there’s brief jittering in some scenes, like in the opening during the transition between FMV and real-time cutscene. Similarly, there are small instances of aliasing here and there.
But most people who own a Switch 2 aren’t likely to be the kind of gamers who will scrutinize every frame, anyway, and Remake still looks much better than most other big third-party games on the platform, to boot. Besides, the most important part here is the quality of the core experience, and in that regard, Remake excels. For the uninitiated, the game follows mercenary Cloud Strife as he joins the ecoterrorist group known as Avalanche to fight the ruthless megacorporation Shinra. Along the way, the party will encounter Sephiroth, a former legendary hero with whom Cloud shares a dark past.
It’s a stellar narrative that’s brought to life through sharp writing and electric performances, touching on themes like environmentalism, capitalism, identity and destiny. And even though it’s only the first in a trilogy of games remaking Final Fantasy VII, Square Enix has done a magnificent job in giving Remake its own contained story in which the characters still have meaty, satisfying arcs within the larger three-part narrative. (For what it’s worth, the sequel, Rebirth, only builds on all of this in even more amazing ways.)
But the masterstroke of the entire Remake series thus far is the core gameplay. Over the years, Final Fantasy games have bounced between turn-based and real-time combat, leading to debate among fans about their preferred style. Rather miraculously, though, Remake lands on a battle system that marries them both to create what’s easily one of my favourites in all of gaming. It’s an exhilarating mix of real-time movement and basic attacks with tactical menu commands to offer something both fast-paced and strategic.
And because this is the Intergrade version of Remake, it also includes the excellent Intermission expansion featuring the young ninja Yuffie, whose story runs parallel to Cloud’s here before properly joining the team in Rebirth. Her combat style, which features blisteringly fast shuriken attacks and elemental Ninjutsu magic, feels refreshingly distinct from Remake‘s main four party members.
Also coming to all versions of Remake Intergrade alongside this Switch 2 port is a new Streamlined Progression feature, which is sort of like the cheats offered in previous Final Fantasy re-releases. This includes the ability to achieve peak HP, MP and damage output and possess the maximum number of most items. It’s completely optional, but it’s nice to have if you want it.
All in all, Remake on Switch 2 is an exceptional port of an already outstanding game. Square Enix has already promised to bring the rest of the Remake trilogy to the Nintendo system (as well as Xbox consoles and PC), so I’m really curious to see how that pans out. It should be noted that Remake is a largely linear game with some optional areas to explore, so it remains to be seen how well Rebirth, which adopts an open-world structure, will fare on Switch 2. For now, though, Nintendo fans can — and very much should — play Remake in all of its glory.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade will launch on Nintendo Switch 2 on January 22 for $53.49.
Image credit: Square Enix
