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I thought the Final Fantasy VII Remake Switch 2 release turned out pretty well. It ran great. It looked pretty good. The streamlined progression options turned out to be a nice touch. It was absolutely fine. When I got to go through the Switch 2 demo for FFVII Rebirth, I felt a bit more impressed. Perhaps it was the scope or seeing a substantial slice of early gameplay, but something seemed a bit more formidable. Now after going through much of the JRPG on the system, it almost seems like an even more impressive feat for it to be as comfortable as it is on the platform.
The first reason Final Fantasy VII Rebirth strikes me as being more impressive on Switch 2 than the original FFVII Remake is the scale. I love the first game and do think it was a wise choice for Square Enix to divide this trilogy up into what happens in Midgar, what happens up to the Temple of the Ancients, and then the rest. But due to that structure, the second part is when the JRPG opens up. With the first part, I felt like we were seeing that yes, it was possible for this trilogy to be here and not just run okay, but do so in a fantastic way that looks and works well. With the second, it feels like there’s more to boast about due to so many environments, enemies, and additional characters tossed into the combat system. It’s big! It isn’t as unstructured as the final part I’m sure will be, given that part of the game in the original offered more freedom to go anywhere. But this is a lot.
That does mean there are compromises. Pop-in is a whole thing, and you’ll start noticing it almost immediately when Cloud, Sephiroth, and Tifa start running toward the Nibelheim reactor. Parts of vegetation might just pop up out of nowhere. You’re in town or an enclosed, defined space? You’ll be fine. Someplace like Kalm or Gold Saucer will be fine. You get out into the field, and then you’ll see times when you’re aware of the Switch 2’s limitations compared to a PS5 or high-end PC. Likewise, there are some moments where environmental elements might look a bit blurry. Such as when Tifa is against a wall in the Kalm inn and the painting of the two rabbits behind her’s texture is at a lower resolution. Also, in handheld mode the lighting can’t be adjusted in the same way as it would be docked. Still, the frame rate is fine. Things look great, all things considered.
I also remain pleased that I can turn on my Switch 2 in handheld mode and know FFVII Rebirth just works. I played it on my Lenovo Legion Go. While that handheld gaming PC could handle it and it was enjoyable there, it took tinkering to get it to where I was happy with the performance. I didn’t feel like I was really comfortable until after I’d left Kalm and headed toward Junon. Here? None of that. It’s perfectly suited for the system.
I feel like Streamlined Progression is more helpful here too. Likely because we do have more characters (Red XIII and Yuffie), more materia, and generally more excuses to go off the beaten path. There are times when we’ll see certain folks be forced into the party for specific story beats. It can help with parity. Essentially, it feels like a helpful modifier, but not completely needed or essential if you don’t want that extra boost.
Queen’s Blood also remains a standout on the Switch 2. I mean, the card-based minigame is one of the best elements of FFVII Rebirth as a whole, so of course it’d be a draw here. But I suppose now that this is one of my many replays of this entry, it felt even more like this time around was my dedicated “complete that storyline” affair more than a push to get through the whole game. It runs well on the console!
Like Final Fantasy VII Remake, FFVII Rebirth works and runs well on the Switch 2 and proves to be a welcome addition to its JRPG library. I’d say it’s even more captivating than the first entry in the trilogy due to the scope of this installment and range of activities and characters. It isn’t the most gorgeous way to play, as there’s some pop-in effects in larger spaces and I felt some textures didn’t get as high of a priority. But for a game of this size to be running so well undocked with no adjustments is a feat.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will come to the Switch 2 and Xbox Series X on June 3, 2026, with a demo out now, and the second part of the FFVII remake trilogy is already on the PS5 and PC.
