There’s nothing quite like the world of Final Fantasy VII. With the third and final entry in the remake trilogy on the way in 2027, Xbox and Nintendo gamers can now play the first two entries that were once Sony-exclusive. As a Switch 2 fanatic, I was shocked by the performance of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade earlier this year. Now, the second entry in the series is on the console and, once again, a wonderful port that pushes the Switch 2’s power to new limits. Here’s our review for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on Nintendo Switch 2.

In my review for Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on Switch 2, I called it “the best-looking third-party Nintendo game I have ever played.” While the scope and grandeur of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth do push the Switch 2 experience to its limits, there is still a lot to marvel at in this port. Unlike Remake, there are many scenes with pop-in and other low-res hiccups. At first, it’s sort of impossible to ignore. That said, over time, you’re able to spend more time focused on the story. The one thing that means most to me, frame rate, is as consistent as the Remake port.

As we slowly start the continuation of Cloud and the company’s journey, the Grasslands are a rough space for this visual stuttering. Things like grass and leaves emerge from thin air as you move throughout this massive land. Quite quickly into the game, however, you move through more confined spaces that are much better suited to the Switch 2’s specs. All of this does much better in docked mode, but in handheld mode, it’s a miracle at all that this massive game can be played from the comfort of bed, a commute, or on the go.

When it comes to the actual journey, Rebirth picks up after our group escapes from the dystopian city of Midgar. Cloud and his friends set out on a journey across the planet, which includes new massive open areas and plenty of stress from Sephiroth. While Cloud continues his journey, we also spend time with newcomer Zack Fair as he walks through the wastelands outside of Midgar. Zack is carrying a battered and bruised Cloud, confusing us about what’s real and what’s not from the get-go. 

The stakes feel so much more massive thanks to this timeline-bending misdirection from the start. It’s unclear to newcomers who Zack really is, and why Cloud is with him when we’ve just spent all this time with Cloud doing other things. Not to mention, a massive tear in the sky is starting to look a lot more concerning than whatever Shinra is up to, although it’s all connected in ways we can’t understand at first. It’s a beautiful journey that runs you anywhere from 60-90 hours, depending on how much side content you complete. That part is totally up to you.

An overwhelming number of quests let you try new ways to level up your party, including missions that provide points to create materia, as in the first game. There are also a ton of ways to build stronger bonds with your party, including attacks that leverage two characters’ abilities to form bonds. The enhanced combat encounters, as well as the ways side quests and open areas expand the experience, are wonderful ways to up the ante in this second chapter of the larger story.

As we conclude this game with “The Forgotten Capital,” we know this is far from the end of Cloud and his party’s story. A third game on the way, however, does not stop Final Fantasy VII Rebirth from feeling complete by the end, especially given how we close things out. There are new characters to keep things lively, and plenty to see and do, but the heart of this game remains Cloud, Aerith, Barrett, and Tifa. These characters sink their teeth into your mind and heart and don’t let go. Nor do we want them to.

Square Enix has the chance to pull off an all-time great trilogy of games next year. For now, they’ve already accomplished something masterful in its own right with the first two. Not to mention, Rebirth‘s performance on Switch 2 points to a new era of Nintendo gaming quality and stature. Whether double-dipping after playthroughs on PS5 or PC, or heading into the world of Rebirth for the first time, the Switch 2 is a great place to take this journey.

A Nintendo Switch 2 review copy of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was provided by Square Enix for this review.

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Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

49.99

9

Score

9.0/10

Pros

• A wonderful extension of the first remake game
• New combat options and open area segments help make it feel larger in scope
• These characters and VO performance are next-level, as in Remake

Cons

• Pop-in and other visual elements aren't perfect, but relatively on par with a base PS5