Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade - Switch 2 Review

Well, would you look at that! We’ve come full circle. 30 years ago, Squaresoft did the unthinkable and decided not to bring Final Fantasy VII to the latest Nintendo console, opting for Sony’s PlayStation thanks to the larger storage capacity of CDs at the time. And yet, in the Nintendo Switch generation, Final Fantasy VII launched on a Nintendo console for the very first time, as well as the game’s protagonist Cloud Strife coming to Super Smash Bros. as a playable fighter. Well now, the once PlayStation-exclusive Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade has made its way over to the Nintendo Switch 2.

Final Fantasy VII Remake originally launched on PlayStation 4 in April 2020 and then on PlayStation 5 as Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. Soon after, there was a Steam launch in December 2021. For this reason, I won’t talk about the game itself too much, but rather how it performs on Nintendo Switch 2. For context, I played and finished Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on PS5 around this time last year, and with there being many reviews talking about the quality of the game itself, I’ll be focusing on how it runs on the hybrid system.

The Good

The performance of a high-fidelity PlayStation 4/PlayStation 5 game running on a handheld hybrid system is the million-dollar question. Previews seemed optimistic, with most speaking highly of the port’s consistent performance and impressive fidelity. Playing Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade in both docked and handheld modes, I can safely say that it’s impressive and, despite the obvious comparisons I can make having played it originally on PS5, it’s better than I would have expected. It runs at a consistent 30 frames per second – an unsurprising downgrade from other versions but consistent nonetheless. 

Beyond its performance on the hybrid system, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade marks the first chapter in an ambitious three-part trilogy, delivering a ground-up remake of one of the most celebrated games of all time. It’s a tall ask, and despite some eyebrow-raising changes to key plot points, it still succeeds in bringing a once ambitious game for the original PlayStation to life with modern video game architecture.

TL;DR

• Consistent performance
• A worthy remake of one of the greatest games of all time

The Bad

Of course, this port is not quite up to the same standard as the other versions on more powerful hardware. This is unsurprisingly most noticeable in docked mode on a big screen, with various textures clearly optimised to ensure that consistent 30 frames per second performance. It’s, by no means, a major detriment to the experience, especially when you take your eyes away from the TV towards the dock and remind yourself that the performance is coming out of an AU$699 tablet; you’re instantly reminded just how impressive it is.

TL;DR

• Fidelity compromises, especially in docked mode

Final Score: 9/10

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on Nintendo Switch 2 gives me hope for future third-party releases on the system. While it understandably doesn’t hit the same high bar as the PS5 and Steam versions, the difference is leagues better than many high-fidelity ports that made their way to the original Nintendo Switch. At this stage, I’m very curious to see how the sequel Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will perform when it inevitably launches on Nintendo Switch 2.

Thank you for checking out our Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade Switch review, thank you to Square Enix (via Bandai Namco AU) for providing the review code and thank you to our Patreon Backers for their ongoing support:

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