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When a game built from the ground up for PlayStation 5 shows up on a handheld console, that alone raises eyebrows. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on the Nintendo Switch 2 is exactly that, and the question everyone wants answered is not whether the game is good (it is), but whether this version is worth your time given the hardware it runs on. That is what this review is here to help you figure out.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth picks up right where Remake left off, following Cloud Strife and the rest of Avalanche as they leave Midgar and step into a large open world. The story takes the party through memorable locations like Junon, Costa del Sol, Gongaga, Cosmo Canyon, and the Gold Saucer, covering the events of the original Final Fantasy VII up to the Temple of the Ancients. Veteran fans will find the main story familiar but full of surprises, with the game taking unexpected turns at key moments. The character writing is one of the strongest parts of the experience, with relationships between Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barret, Yuffie, Red XIII, and the wider cast developing in ways that give the story genuine emotional weight.
How It Looks and Plays
Visuals are understandably the biggest talking point here. The game manages a reasonable image quality given the hardware constraints, with DLSS doing much of the work to keep things looking acceptable in most scenes. In handheld mode though, the image is noticeably soft, and that becomes more obvious in visually busy areas like the Gold Saucer, where things can look a bit muddy. Textures are another issue worth mentioning. At the start of cutscenes, you will often see blurry assets that sharpen up within a second or two as the higher quality textures load in. Out in the open world, grass and distant scenery tend to pop into view fairly close to the player, which can be a little distracting. There were also occasional screen-flash lighting glitches spotted in handheld mode, though these were uncommon and did not show up in docked mode.
The Switch 2 version targets 30 frames per second, and during most regular gameplay and combat, it holds that target well enough. 30fps is not ideal for an action RPG, but it becomes manageable once you get used to it. In more demanding sections like large battles with heavy visual effects or areas like the Gold Saucer, frame drops do happen and are noticeable. Load times can run a little long on occasion, though not to the point where it seriously interrupts the experience. Overall, performance sits roughly in line with the Steam Deck version of the game.
Despite the technical limitations, everything that makes Rebirth the game it is comes through completely intact. The full 100-plus hours of content are here, including the main story, side quests, chocobo racing, Queen’s Blood card battles, and the full lineup of minigames. The combat system is also entirely untouched. On top of that, the game includes a set of gameplay modifiers like experience boosts, fully upgraded materia, and unlimited ATB options, giving players the ability to adjust the experience to whatever pace and difficulty suits them.
Verdict
The soft visuals in handheld mode, the occasional frame drops, and the texture and foliage pop-in are real issues and worth knowing about before you buy. If you have access to a PS5 or a capable gaming PC, those are still the better ways to play from a technical standpoint. That said, getting a game of this size running on a handheld in a content-complete state is a genuine achievement. The things that make Rebirth stand out, its combat, its world, its characters, and its story, all carry over to this version. For Switch 2 players, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth of the best RPGs available on the platform and a solid way to experience a game that already left a big mark on the genre.
The Review
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Nintendo Switch 2
PROS
- Full content intact — story, side quests, minigames, and combat all present.
- DLSS keeps the image reasonably clean.
- Stable 30fps in most scenarios.
- Generous gameplay modifiers for all play styles.
- A full-scale RPG playable on the go.
CONS
- Handheld image quality is noticeably soft.
- Frame rate drops in demanding areas like the Gold Saucer and large battles.
