Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade Switch 2 Review - Once More Unto The Breach
It’s fair to say that Final Fantasy VII Remake, for better or worse, has received quite a lot of love from us here at Player2 over the years. From Stephen’s original review of the game in 2020, to my own review of Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade the following year, and an even more exhaustive amount of content around subsequent releases in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII: Reunion, and the latest chapter, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth on both PS5 and PC. And if you thought that Square-Enix was done, you thought wrong, with Remake now coming to Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2. With the game now exposed to new audiences, and in particular, owners of the Switch 2, we opted to take what we can only assume is one final look at the game, on lesser-powered hardware, to see how it holds up.
If you’ve been following the news at all about Final Fantasy VII Remake and its prequels and sequels, you will know that it is a full, ground-up reimagining of the original PS1 release of Final Fantasy VII. Cloud, Sephiroth, Barrett, Tifa, and Aerith are all significant parts of a game that largely recreates the original game’s story, but new elements have been added to expand the Midgar portion of the original game’s plot, while other additions take the game in wild new directions. For Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox owners who have yet to be spoiled, buckle up for a rollercoaster ride that doesn’t relent throughout. Bundled into the package is Intergrade, a bridging chapter that was initially launched as an additional chapter to the original version of the game but is now included in the purchase package on Xbox and Switch 2 versions, providing players with a glimpse into a fascinating Yufi-centric side-story that runs parallel to the primary narrative.
The gameplay experience is almost entirely unchanged from the original launch too, with Final Fantasy VII Remake being more of an action-RPG with splashes of turn-based choice appearing on occasions. Players can customise their experience through the game’s materia system, equipping party members with fire, lightning, ice, cure, evolved versions of these magic abilities, as well as numerous others that can buff, debuff, and create a range of other effects as well. Classic Summons such as Ifrit, Bahamut, Ramuh, and Shiva all return as well.
There is one notable gameplay addition that comes with this Switch 2 and Xbox release, and will arrive via an update to PlayStation and PC versions on launch day as well, and it comes in the form of a range of difficulty accessibility options. Players who are finding the game too challenging, or simply want to get to the narrative beats without needing to think about the narrative, can toggle on a range of settings to make the combat a breeze. Dubbed “Streamlined Progression”, the options available to players include the ability to maximise your HP and MP, while also maintaining stacked ATB and Limit gauges, deal 9999 damage with each blow, and more. For the purists, these additions won’t be desirable, but for those wishing to simply get the story, these options will make Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade a breeze.
Before I conclude my analysis of Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade, I need to issue an apology to both Square-Enix and Nintendo. Nintendo Switch 2 is a considerably weaker piece of hardware relative to the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, letalone the ever-growing potential of PCs. as such, I never gave Square-Enix a chance at creating a Final Fantasy VII Remake experience that wasn’t going to look significantly inferior compared to versions on other platforms. In actuality, Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade looks fantastic on the Nintendo Switch 2. Square-Enix has extracted everything possible from the portable platform to realise the game in the best way possible. On the handheld, the game looks a little dark relative to other versions of the game, and it does run at 30FPS, but these are small sacrifices to make for the game to look as sharp and detailed as it does on the platform. Of course, the game’s soundtrack is a beautiful merger of older classics, with modern reinterpretation, and the orchestral symphony blasts through your audio setup, overwhelming the senses in all of the best ways. It was a fantastic feeling to experience all of this, once again, in the context that it was always intended to be presented in.
Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade is the definitive way to experience the first chapter in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. While some minuscule compromises are present with this Switch 2 version, I was stunned by just how close Square-Enix got to presenting the game in a way that rivals what is available on more powerful hardware. If you’ve not yet experienced this first chapter in the Remake trilogy and are looking for a portable option, this Switch 2 port is a fantastic choice.
Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade was reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2 with a code provided by Bandai Namco Australia on behalf of Square-Enix.
