Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade Switch 2 Review – A Hero on the Move
Final Fantasy 7 Remake has finally arrived on the Xbox Series X|S, as well as Nintendo’s latest console, the Nintendo Switch 2. A real treat to fans all over the world, and although the game is nearing its sixth year (five for the Intergrade version) of being on the market, having replayed the game recently on the Switch 2, it is clear that the wait was absolutely worth it; the experience is seamless, visually stunning, and a perfect entry point for those who missed it the first time around.
Square Enix’s work porting the game to new platforms has resulted in versions that feel entirely uncompromised, bringing the cinematic grandeur of Midgar to new screens without sacrificing the fluid combat that defined the original release. And yes, I say this fully aware that the Nintendo Switch 2 version is capped at 30 FPS.
Even With Compromises, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade Shines Incredibly on the Nintendo Switch 2
I was fortunate enough to review the original Final Fantasy 7 Remake back in 2020, so I won’t spend too much time rehashing my thoughts on it. But I will say, those who are playing this remake for the very first time, go in with an open mind, as the game isn’t entirely a 1:1 remake. There are some new story elements, some to add to and expand some existing lore, like giving us more story content around the original members of Avalanche. There are also some very drastic changes introduced to the story with this remake, though I won’t spoil any of it despite how long the game has already been out.
The bottom line is, this is an excellent remake, even if it doesn’t maintain the turn-based combat of the original PS1 release. Again, if you want something that’s a bit more fleshed out, I suggest reading my initial review, which I still stand by with the score I gave it (9.5/10).
What I did want to focus on is the port itself. For those who don’t know, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is the next-gen version of the game, ported from PS4 to PS5 back in 2021 with improved visuals, including better textures, lighting, and particle effects, as well as the introduction of a new chapter featuring a party member who would join the cast in the sequel.
But I think the biggest change for many was the introduction of a 60 FPS mode, which was double the performance of the last-gen (PS4) version. Not only did you have a game that looked even more incredible, but you now had one that felt it, too. That’s not to say that the PS4 version didn’t feel good, because honestly, Square Enix made a fantastic 30 FPS experience there; it’s just the jump in fidelity felt like a massive leap at the time.
This brings us to the Nintendo Switch 2 version, which offers the graphical improvements from the original Intergrade release but at the cost of performance.
However, this isn’t the stuttery experience you might fear. Much like the original PS4 release, the 30 FPS target here is implemented to ensure near-perfect frame pacing, making the combat feel weighty and deliberate rather than sluggish and choppy. In fact, seeing the high-fidelity assets of the Intergrade version running this cleanly on a handheld is, in my opinion, a fair trade-off. It bridges the gap between generations, offering a mix of the PS5’s visual splendor and the PS4’s original performance profile, a combination that works surprisingly well in the palm of your hand.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I would have loved to see 60 FPS support here, but I also know the importance of keeping expectations in check. The Switch 2 is an incredible piece of hardware, but it’s still quite limited compared to the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. It might be beefier in terms of specs over its predecessor, but it’s still built as a mobile device that uses a custom mobile System-on-Chip (SoC) from Nvidia. Dock mode won’t magically change that either. That, and this is a port of an existing game, rather than something being rebuilt from the ground up.
At that point, it’s about how studios work around those limitations to deliver a polished product, and I think Square Enix has walked the tightrope perfectly here, proving that a stable, high-fidelity 30 FPS is infinitely preferable to an unstable performance mode that sacrifices too much image quality just to get better, inconsistent frames.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade on the Switch 2 does come with some sacrifices when going up against other versions, but you’d be hard-pressed to even care about them once you see it in motion, and just how well the 30 FPS performance was done here.
Note that the following videos are considered spoilers
Resolution targets 1080P, which, from a handheld perspective, is perfectly fine. The small-screen pixel density really helps maintain a sharp image, effectively hiding the aliasing that might be more noticeable on a larger TV. On the Switch 2’s display, the image looks incredibly crisp, to the point where you likely wouldn’t even notice the lower pixel count unless you were actively looking for it.
Dock mode is a bit of a different story, as details that would otherwise be hidden in handheld mode become more noticeable, with some blurryness and shimmering here and there. It still looks great, even on a full 4K display, but you’ll notice more of the graphical limitations in this mode, as well as some of the visual artifacts DLSS introduces, such as ghosting.
Hair, especially, regardless of which mode you play in, is going to have a lot of fizz and dithering going on. Considering how sharp and clear everything else looks, it is a bit distracting. Not that it’s detrimental to the experience, but it’s one of those flaws that is noticeable in nearly every scene. It looks much better in the cutscenes, but I do hope we see a patch improve it. Cloud is having it the worst because of his blonde hair.
I’m actually impressed by how good Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade looks on the Nintendo Switch 2, and how stable 30 FPS is. Sure, it took my eyes a bit to adjust, but once they did, it was hard to tell that this was a 30 FPS experience. Having also played this on the Steam Deck a while back, the Switch 2 version of the game is a big improvement, offering better resolution (1080P vs 720P), lighting, textures, and even performance. DLSS, of course, comes into play on the Switch 2 version, even if it seems pretty minimal in some anti-aliasing areas.
On the Go Perfection
Ultimately, while it does come with sacrifices, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is a technical triumph on the Nintendo Switch 2. With the limitations that the Switch 2 presents, it has brought into question just how well third-party support can be, and while we’ve had some pretty bad ports in the first year of the Switch 2, there has been some incredible ones, such as Cyberpunk 2077, that have really shown that if actual care is put in, even the weakest of hardware can be more than capable of providing an exceptional experience.
That’s what Square Enix has done here with Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade for the Nintendo Switch 2, playing into its strength, and proving that the console is more than capable of handling heavyweight titles. It’s a fantastic port in nearly every respect, making it the best way to play when it comes to on-the-go gaming.
But even beyond that, for newcomers looking to finally experience this masterpiece for the first time, the Switch 2 version is an absolute joy that demands very few caveats. A perfect way to get into the franchise for Nintendo fans.
If this is the kind of commitment that Square Enix has for their future Switch 2 games support, I say there’s plenty for Switch 2 owners to be excited for, and I cannot wait to see how the publisher and studios manage to get Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, a bigger and more ambitious title than Remake, on the Switch 2. Things are already looking very good with Remake.
Pros
- A fantastic story that expands on characters we had so little time with in the original PS1 release.
- Visuals were always gorgeous, but to see a version of it running on the Switch 2 is very impressive, Really makes you go "wow, I can't believe this is running on a Nintendo console"
- 30 FPS is consistent, with near-perfect pacing. Once you start playing, you'd have a hard time believing this is 30 FPS and not 60 FPS, as it's that smooth.
- Fun combat, even if it does shy away from the classic turn-based system.
- Music - Both new and reimagined classics.
Cons
- Character's hair can be distracting at times.
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