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Ever since I first played it on the PS5 a few years ago, I’ve been certain Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is a gaming masterpiece – the inarguable best way to play the role-playing game (RPG) classic that is Final Fantasy VII. But now that it’s coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, is the game still as excellent?
TL;DR, yes, but I’m left feeling like the Switch 2 edition is only the second best way to play the best way to play Final Fantasy VII.
I’m not the only person who loves Final Fantasy VII Remake. Former TechRadar Computing Hardware expert Jackie Thomas gave it five stars out of five back when it released on the PS4 almost six years ago, and the story, music, and general beauty of the game haven’t changed with this port.
But as you’d expect, going from a home console to a handheld hybrid, some technical downgrades are to be expected – with both texture quality, framerate, and fidelity dips noticeable, though playing in Docked mode does give it a noticeable visual bump.
That said, are you playing on the Switch 2 for graphical superiority? If you are you might want to rethink your console choice, as the true beauty of the Nintendo hybrid is its ability to game on the go, and for an tens-of-hours-long RPG – that’ll hold your attention between 30 and 90 hours based on whether you want to focus on the story, complete a few side quests along the way, or seriously devour every piece of additional content across both the main campaign and bonus Intermission downloadable content (DLC) episode – is essential for more time-strapped gamers.
Finding time to play all of that at home can be tough, especially if you share your TV. Taking Final Fantasy 7 Remake on the go as part of your morning commute, on trips if you travel regularly, or simply enjoying it in portable mode on the couch while someone else uses the main screen in your home entertainment setup makes finding the time much more manageable – meaning you can actually start enjoying the games you buy, and not just stare at them in your ever-growing digital library.
If this convenience is what you crave, you’ll love Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on the Nintendo Switch 2. For everyone else, this game is still required reading, but you’d be better served by its PlayStation 5 edition (provided you have access to the console).
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is part one of Square Enix’s recreation of the 1997 RPG, Final Fantasy 7. While it is, in some ways, simply a third of a game, the care and attention put into every inch of this title doesn’t leave you feeling shortchanged.
As I mentioned in the intro you can easily spend close to 90 hours playing Remake if you sink your teeth into every challenge the game has to offer, including finishing every side mission, earning the high score in every minigame, completing the game on Hard mode (which requires a whole replay), and besting the greatest foes in Shinra’s virtual battle zone.
I can say, as someone who has done exactly this, you won’t regret the time you spend in Midgar, but even if you simply focus on the main quest-focused story (including the Intermission story featuring Yuffie) then you’ll still be savouring Final Fantasy VII for around 30 to 40 hours.
Even if you’ve played the 1997 version, there’s plenty to enjoy here too.
The Remake expands on the story in a way that better fleshes out each character, the relationships between the key players, and (if I’m honest) makes the experience much more engaging rather than what could at times feel like a slog.
There’s a few new twists and turns to discover as well, but every single one feels like a worthy addition to the mythos and the core story FFVII is telling – rather than fluff that would detract from its message.
Combat ready!
The gameplay has had a tune-up too.
I enjoy turn-based battling, but Final Fantasy VII’s approach to combat is undeniably more active and approachable to a wider audience At the same-time I appreciate the “Classic” difficulty mode the game introduces which helps to return some of the accessibility offered by turn-based combat if you want it.
If playing regularly you must actively attack and block with your character to charge ATB so you can perform more powerful skills and spells. In Classic mode the characters all fight and guard automatically, letting you just focus simply on which enemy to target and when you want to use those more powerful moves.
It’s not a substitute for the slower pace of turn-based fights, but feels closer to it if you require a slightly calmer pace.
In any case, with this more active approach to combat comes complexity where lots can be happening at once – especially in bigger fights that have Cloud, Tifa, and Barrett slashing, punching, and firing away at a small army of Shinra guards and bots returning fire – but the Switch 2 did its best to keep things flowing smoothly.
There’s no in-system way to track framerate, but the gameplay did seem to hold steady at 30fps as Square has promised. If you’re used to higher rates you’ll notice some frameyness to the game in handheld mode, but honestly it doesn’t detract from the experience – especially since this isn’t a game like a shooter where 60fps-afforded precision is essential.
There are also a few noticeable texture and model downgrades compared to the PlayStation version, which are even more apparent if like me you’re used to the PS5 rendition rather than the PS4 edition of Remake. When you dock your Switch 2, however, things do start to look a lot better, and even in handheld mode there is an undeniable beauty to Final Fantasy VII Remake that persists even if the overall quality has taken a hit.
Again, as I mentioned in my intro, it’s also not like you’re choosing the Switch 2 for its graphical fidelity. Quality is the price we pay for handheld convenience, and I’ll hold firm to the fact that this port does look great even if not quite as great as the PlayStation edition. It just comes down to what you value more.
The only other point I’ll make on the Switch 2 vs PlayStation comparisons are cost.
At launch the Switch 2 Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade will cost you $39.99 / £39.99 / AU$69.95. It’s a reasonable price of entry in my mind, but you should note that a twin pack of Remake and its part 2 Rebirth on PS5 will set you back $59.99 / £59.99 / AU$159.95 (it’s not such a great deal based in Australia at full-price, though I’ve seen it on sale for much less in each of these regions meaning it’s a better deal than these numbers make it look).
Two games for effectively the price of one-and-a-half (or even for the price of one if you get the twin pack with a discount) is clearly a good deal. So if you have access to both consoles, and won’t appreciate the convenience of handheld mode, or would appreciate the better value proposition, then you might want to consider your options for how to experience Final Fantasy VII.
Should you play Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade on the Switch 2?
Play it if…
Don’t play it if…
Accessibility
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade has several difficulty controls to help with accessibility.
There’s Classic mode if you’d prefer a simpler battle system, but also the ability to always have max HP, a full ATB gauge, and constantly deal max damage (among other effects) that can make the game more approachable.
Beyond this there are subtitles for all cutscenes, however there isn’t a built-in colorblind mode which can unfortunately make a couple of fights and minigames a little tougher if you are colorblind.
How I tested Final Fantasy VII Remake (Nintendo Switch 2)
I’ve already put over 80-hours into Final Fantasy VII Remake and its DLC episode on my PS5 – as I mentioned in my review, I enjoyed it so much I went out of my way to get every Trophy – so I already knew my thoughts on its mechanics and its story before booting this title up.
My focus of this review was to test how well the Nintendo Switch 2 can handle the game I love. To test this I played the title over many many hours in both docked and handheld mode, made sure to explore both the main story, side quests, and minigames, and made notes about its technical capabilities.
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hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector)
