Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade (Switch 2) Review

I’ve played through Final Fantasy 7 Remake quite a few times at this point. I played it when it was originally released on the PS4, I played the fantastic Intergrade upgrade when it was released on PS5, and I played it again when the same version was released on PC. I’ve probably put more hours into it than most games I’ve played throughout my life, but returning to it on Switch 2, I was still just as captivated as the first time I booted it up in 2020.

Let me quickly (it will not be quick) run through FF7 Remake for the benefit of those who haven’t had the pleasure of playing it before. Final Fantasy 7 Remake is, as the name suggests, a remake of the classic PS1 game Final Fantasy 7… sort of. It’s actually the first game in a trilogy that retells and remixes the classic game, with the second being Rebirth – released on PS5 in 2024 – and the third yet to be officially announced or named. All will come to Switch 2, eventually, so starting on Remake now is a good idea. 

This first game in the trilogy focuses on the Midgar section of the original, so you’ll spend a lot of time in the messed up industrial city that’s home to the headquarters of the Shinra Electric Power Company, a massive international conglomerate with unchecked power and a powerful paramilitary force at its disposal. Everyone in Midgar, and basically everyone in the world of FF7, has been negatively affected by Shinra in some way, so opposing its operations is the key focus of this game. 

To that end, you play as one of the most iconic heroes in video game history, Cloud Strife, a former Shinra SOLDIER turned mercenary, who joins up with ecoterrorist group Avalanche to strike at the heart of Shinra. You blow up some reactors, accidentally cause a tragedy or two, and come face to face with Sephiroth, a presumed dead SOLDIER who seems to have some sort of connection to Cloud.

Because this is a section of the game that previously took about 6 hours, every part of the story has been expanded for Remake. A lot. Almost all of it is good, with a few questionable bits here and there, mostly to do with pacing. I personally like the silly, off-the-wall changes that were made to the story – to me, they separate the original from the remake, and introduce a new layer of depth that rewards long-time players without alienating new players – but not everyone does. If you’re a FF7 purist, it might not be for you. But it is very much for me, and if you give it a chance, you’re sure to find a lot to like. 

The gameplay is where Remake shines, though, with a fantastic combat system that mixes the old ATB turn-based system seen in the original with a greatly refined FF15-style action combat. It does feel a little clunky after going back to it from Rebirth, where the gameplay was tightened up and made a lot more fluid and flexible, but it still remains one of the best action RPG combat systems in recent history. 

The Intergrade version of the game, which is what we’ve got here on Switch 2, also comes with what might be my favourite piece of FF7 media to date: Episode Intermission. In this expansion, you play as Wutai ninja and operative Yuffie Kisaragi, who is an amazing, adorable, bubbly character that goes on to be one of the best parts of Rebirth. Yuffie is an absolute treasure. 

I won’t spoil the story for those of you yet to play, but Intermission is set somewhere in the middle-ish of Remake and connects to Rebirth, so it’s best played after finishing the main game. You don’t have to, but you should. 

Importantly, because Intermission was in development alongside Rebirth, it comes with a lot of the expanded fluidity and refinement in combat that came with that game. Yuffie is a joy to play as in combat, and feels significantly better than the already fantastic main game cast, but her time in the sun also comes with some lovely, touching writing, a lot of comedy, and some of the best music in the series’ history. Intermission is more than just a side activity, it’s the icing atop a wonderfully delicious cake. 

So that’s the game, but how does it stack up on Switch 2? Well, it’s nothing short of spectacular. Visually, there’s very little difference between the game on Switch 2 and the game on PS5. It’s got the improved lighting, the enhanced fog and textures, and lightning quick load times with very few compromises. It does run at a lower resolution than the PS5 version of the game, of course, and at (a rock solid) 30fps instead of 60, but they’re very acceptable compromises for a game like this when it looks and plays as well as it does. 

In my time with the game, I saw very few instances of dropped frames or visual compromises like aggressive dynamic resolution. It’s a rock-solid port, both in docked and handheld modes. It’s honestly incredible to play a game like that in handheld mode, because it feels like it should be impossible. But somehow it’s not, and if this is how good Remake is, then Rebirth on Switch 2 should be completely mind-blowing. 

The Switch 2 version of the game also comes with some progression streamlining that are essentially old-school cheat codes. In addition to being able to start the game at a higher level, you can also, at any time, toggle on or off the ability to deal 9999 damage with every hit, always have max HP, MP, or ATB gauges, or even just speed up leveling a little bit so it’s less of a grind. These options are fantastic for getting through the game quickly, or just for cutting down the amount of tedium in the game, so they’re very welcome — hopefully Rebirth gets the same gamut of streamlining options when it makes the leap in the future. 

One thing worth noting is that, if you have a display with high quality HDR, the HDR in this game while docked is an incredible showpiece for the tech. Casting a spell, summoning a summon, or getting caught in an explosion is a visual treat, with overwhelmingly bright particles and details that make the game look absolutely gorgeous. If you don’t have good HDR on your TV, it still looks great, but if you were on the fence about upgrading your TV, I’d definitely consider it for this game alone. 

Final Fantasy Remake 7 Intergrade is one of the best-looking games on the Switch 2 to date, with an incredible port that compromises on very little to deliver a fantastic version of an already stunning game. Whether you’re a lifelong FF7 fan who’s never dipped their toes into the remake trilogy, a newcomer to the mythos, or just looking to replay it again ahead of the finale, the Switch 2 is one of the best ways to play. 

Rating: 4.5/5