When Final Fantasy 7 Remake released on Switch 2 at the beginning of the year, it was easily one of the most impressive Nintendo ports to date. However, one question I had was whether its sequel would hold up on the handheld console, given its more ambitious open-world scope. Thankfully, after playing the game for over 60 hours, I can confirm that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is not only a miracle on Switch 2, but one of the best ports to date.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review: How It Runs on Switch 2
Look, let’s just get this out of the way. Yes, in Switch 2 portable mode, there are some compromises with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Some environmental textures look soft, and the game isn’t running at 60 FPS. However, Square Enix still somehow managed to pull off a port of FF7 Remake Part 2 almost flawlessly on the Nintendo handheld.
For example, even though the game is running at a lower frame rate, I genuinely couldn’t tell when playing it on handheld. The game never gets choppy or feels like it lags. This is even more impressive when you consider the game’s intense free-style combat, which has Cloud zipping around the map while slashing enemies down. And combat can absolutely get chaotic at times.
Square Enix also nailed the character models and the game’s cinematics on Switch 2. Early on in the story, there is a scene where Sephiroth has water dripping down his coat, and I could see those little details. So while Final Fantasy VII Rebirth certainly has compromises in portable mode, it’s easily one of the most impressive Nintendo Switch 2 ports ever released. This is especially true, when you take into context the massive open-world map that is introduced in FF7 Rebirth.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Story is An Emotional Reimagining
I first played Final Fantasy VII Rebirth back when it launched on PS5 in 2024. At the time, it was easily my personal game of the year. And I still believe to this day that it’s one of the best remakes of all time. For starters, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is more of a reimagining than a remake. While it stays faithful to the larger concepts of the original Final Fantasy 7 from 1997, it also makes drastic changes to the game’s story.
One of the best changes Director Naoki Hamaguchi made with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is how it fleshes out its characters. I particularly love Cloud’s story arc in the game. While there are plot reasons for why the iconic character is so stoic and, at times, cold, Rebirth gives you deeper insight into his motivations. But more importantly, it expands on the relationships Cloud has with his companions.
Without getting into spoilers, there is an Aerith scene toward the end of Rebirth that genuinely made me tear up. The acting from both Briana White and Cody Christian is absolutely masterful. But it also speaks to the larger story of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which gives you a lot more payoff when it comes to character arcs. It’s a big improvement over Final Fantasy VII Remake, which was more of a teaser setting up the world of the series.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Combat is A Perfect Mix of Classic and Modern RPGs
Look, I grew up with turn-based RPGs, and I still miss them. But Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s combat is a perfect mix between the classic and modern games. Like Remake, Rebirth has a real-time battle system. Players can hack and slash enemies to build up ATB, which then allows them to use items, abilities, and spells.
However, one of my favorite new features in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the Synergy attack. Essentially, this allows two party members to join together to unleash a deadly attack. However, these special moves often come with unique cinematic animation scenes. My personal favorite is one where Aerith throws on sunglasses and poses next to Barrett.
While these could be seen as just flashy attack animations, I again think they go a long way to really flesh out the characters and their relationships. At least for me, it just made me feel like these friends were growing together. It also gives combat a lot more personality and emotional weight. Plus, they are, in fact, flashy, bad-ass, powerful attacks.
One of the best changes in FF7 Rebirth, though, is giving Cloud a parry and dodge by default. Instead of having to use materia, you can now hold down a button and zip around the screen with Cloud to dodge incoming attacks. Small tweaks such as spell cooldown reductions and ability costs also make Rebirth’s combat flow a lot better than Remake.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has Massive open-world Maps and Endless Content
Even in 2026, I’m still blown away by the sheer scope of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. If you are coming from Remake, you are in for a massive treat. Whether it’s the opening sprawling Grasslands area or the stunning tropical island resort of Costa del Sol, Rebirth has a wide variety of open-world map locations that are mind-blowingly beautiful.
There are a total of eight regions in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. These are massive open-world maps that also contain unique story locations. It took me around 60 hours to beat the main story of FF7 Rebirth. However, it can easily take over 120 hours if you are trying to complete everything. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is also packed with so much content that, again, it feels like a miracle that Square Enix was even able to pull this off.
Did I mention the game also has side quests and even entire side-storyline missions? Even in each map, there are towers, fiend intel, lifesprings, sanctuaries, and protorelics to discover. There is even a Moogle Intel quest that leads you down an adorably surprising storyline. I could go on for days, but FF7 Rebirth is easily one of the most content-filled games I’ve ever played and will keep you busy for months.
Final Verdict: Is Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Worth Playing on Switch 2?
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the most ambitious Nintendo Switch 2 port to date. While it has a few graphical compromises, its performance runs flawlessly on handheld. With gorgeous open-world maps and hundreds of hours of side content, this is easily the best Final Fantasy game on a Nintendo console.
Verdict: Best In Its Class (5/5)
Pros
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth looks and runs amazing on Switch 2 handheld, despite being one of the most ambitious AAA games on a Nintendo console.
- With over 8 regions to explore, FF7 Rebirth gives players a wide-variety of locations and content to explore.
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has one of the best storylines in the entire franchise, and will have players gripped to their seat to the very end.
Cons
- Some textures have soft edges while being played in portable handheld mode on Switch 2.
- If you get overwhelmed by too much content, then FF7 Rebirth might feel daunting at first. However, you can just focus on the main story and revisit side-content later on.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will be available on Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S starting on June 3, 2026. It’s available on PS5 and PC now. A code was provided by Square Enix for the sake of review. Reviewed on Switch 2.
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