Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on Nintendo Switch 2 is an impressive port despite clear visual concessions. Square Enix brings over its most ambitious Final Fantasy game yet to Nintendo Switch 2, with mostly great results.
A Bold Undertaking
Rebirth picks up almost immediately where Final Fantasy 7 Remake left off, seeing Cloud and crew venture to expanded horizons. In my original review for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth some two-and-a-bit years ago, I dubbed it 'a broadly ambitious second chapter for fans old and new'. It wasn't a perfect JRPG, by any means, and its nature of being a pseudo-remake that also serves as a meta sequel to the original PlayStation 1 game it's based on definitely causes some tonal and narrative issues.
And yet, even as someone with very little investment with the game's original 1997 incarnation, as far as Rebirth goes, I still find myself in awe at the sheer gargantuan nature of the thing. The same is true for the Nintendo Switch 2 port, which launched earlier this week.
Performance and Visuals
Having also tested out Final Fantasy 7 Remake via its Switch 2 incarnation earlier this year, I remained hopeful that this far more ambitious second part of this soon-to-be remake trilogy would run and perform just as well. However, Rebirth is such a larger prospect of a game, one previously developed exclusively for the current-gen PS5 console.
Could Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on Nintendo Switch 2 stand toe-to-toe with other versions? Surprisingly, yes. Very much so. And I'm just as shocked as you probably are. Don't get me wrong, Square Enix has had to make some clearer visual and graphical concessions to get Rebirth running somewhat smoothly in both handheld and docked mode. Most of the time this rears its head in frequent environmental pop-in, an inconsistent framerate but one that mostly adheres to 30fps, and a generally softer, fuzzier filter that is especially noticeable when exploring the game's more open and built-up areas. Rebirth isn't quite as visually flawless as Final Fantasy 7 Remake was, then, but that's expected!
Gameplay and Content
It's still incredibly impressive to see Square Enix spend the time, energy, and effort to get a game as huge (in both ambition and scope) as Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth into the hands of Nintendo Switch 2 players. You already know going in that you won't be getting the most graphically impressive version of Cloud's interquel out there, but what matters is that it is consistent in terms of its performance.
Better yet, this is a JRPG that you can easily spend close to 100 hours in if you're committed to exploring all the mini-games, side content, and optional locales. Providing you don't mind making 90GB's worth of storage space on your Switch 2, Rebirth will have you engaging in its unique blend of real-time and turn-based combat almost ad infinitum.
Future Possibilities
Of course, knowing that Square Enix has been able to get Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth up and running on Switch 2 respectably, one wonders which existing and upcoming AAA gems the publisher could bring over next. Having put several hours into this iteration of Rebirth now, there's no doubt in my mind that the similarly large-in-scope Final Fantasy 16 could one day eventually come over.
Then there's the question of the third (and presumably final) part of the overall Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy. Rebirth proves a Final Fantasy game developed from the ground up for PS5 and Xbox Series X can come over to Switch 2, so it's certainly now a possibility in my mind. Previously, I'll admit, I wasn't so sure.
Conclusion
In whatever way you look at it, its first year on the market has been a good one for AAA ports that achieve parity on Nintendo Switch 2. Because sure, while The Duskbloods and Elden Ring are currently MIA and the likes of Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight and 007: First Light have been delayed coming to the platform, Bethesda with Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition and more recently Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Capcom with Resident Evil, and now Square Enix with both Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth have proved the Nintendo Switch 2 as a more than capable hybrid console. Long may the current-gen ports continue!
