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Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, the continuation of the retelling started by Final Fantasy VII: Remake, has finally made it to non-PlayStation consoles, and over the weekend, I’ve been blasting through the game on my Nintendo Switch 2 to answer one question: can the handheld handle it?
The simple answer is yes; the longer answer is yes, but I’m not convinced this is how I’d want to experience this adventure, as Rebirth’s grander scale compared to its first part makes the Nintendo console’s technical deficiencies glaringly obvious.
Though being able to take this adventure on the go with you has some serious upsides — especially as it’s a game you can (and I have, on the PS5 version) sink well over 150 hours into sucking out every last morsel of blood from this stone (my PS5 tells me I spent 187 hours in this game).
Much like Remake, your platform choice for Rebirth should be decided by what you most value from your gaming: beauty or accessibility.
Rebirth reflection
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is not a sequel in the usual sense, it’s more of a disc two in the three-part retelling of the iconic JRPG. The gameplay is mostly identical to the first part, the story picks up exactly where things left off, and it’s essential you play Remake if you want to hit the ground running plot-wise in the way Rebirth expects — otherwise, more so than jumping into the second entry in a gaming series, it’ll be a challenge to get up to speed.
At the same time, Rebirth is an expansion on Remake’s formula thanks to the addition of new playable characters, folios that pave the way for more character build customization, and the open world aspects that make this feel like a grand adventure rather than a linear tale.
The story focus, while a continuation of the remade FF7 plot, is also distinct for this entry. Rebirth’s portion of the FF7 tale is one of confronting the past — for characters on an individual level such as when we return to their former homes in Nibelheim (Cloud and Tifa) and Corel (Barret), for the world as a whole as we learn more of the Cetra Ancients, their stewardship of the lifestream and how this feeds into the various conflicts between modern day factions, and for the series on a meta level as we learn the consequences and outcomes of the first-part’s finale to defy fate.
This reflective narrative (while a touch messy in that last aspect) provides an excellent throughline for this portion of the tale. It’s easy for middle parts to struggle with an identity and feeling satisfied, as they can too easily feel like a mere vehicle to take us from part one to part 3. Rebirth leaves a few loose ends dangling by its conclusions, but this entry makes space for character development and sub-plot conclusions that leave you hungry for more rather than narratively starving.
Unfortunately, where you are left demanding more, at least for the Switch 2 port, is in the performance department. Much like Remake, I didn’t find the game’s quality utterly experience-ruining, but the expanded scope of this title makes it clear that technical excellence is not the Switch 2's strong suit.
The overall technical performance is not drastically different from the Remake experience. Generally, the game runs smoothly at a constant framerate. There was maybe a touch of stutter for the flashy boss-ending finishing combos in a couple of fights, but I was never distracted from enjoying the spectacle of fights in Rebirth.
Quality leaves something to be desired, however, though I will admit my screenshots (especially my combat snaps) paint a slightly unfair picture. With the motion blur, the pace of animations, and the dazzle of colorful explosions, it’s easy not to notice the messy and unfinished nature that individual frames present.
Where the quality is tougher to ignore are the wider environments. Leaving the, at times, claustrophobic streets of Midgar's slums behind, Rebirth offers a true sense of adventure with pseudo-open-world spaces to explore across numerous regions.
On PS5, these spaces can feel dazzling; on the Switch 2, a combination of lower-quality textures, more sporadic (and lower poly) set dressing (i.e., flowers and other foliage, which decorate the Grassland's floors), and a noticeable amount of pop-in detract from the spectacle.
These issues were present in handheld mode, but also in docked mode. In fact, the low-quality textures were more frustrating when blown up on my 55-inch TV screen.
I found the lack of foliage especially amusing in the Chocobo capture section in the second chapter. Cloud had maybe five blades of grass between him and the keen eye of the iconic yellow bird, but this is apparently enough cover to remain hidden — perhaps this is thanks to special training SOLDIERs and Shinra infantry are given.
Alas, the lack of spectacle made exploring the open-world environments much less appealing. Where I had previously made sure to accomplish as many side objectives as possible before moving on, I frequently gave up after just a couple because I didn’t feel quite as immersed in this adventure.
Though if you haven’t experienced the non-Switch 2 version, this graphical contrast might not feel as stark, and with the game offering hundreds of hours of content, the ability to play it anywhere is a major accessibility win.
With free hours to play here and there — while commuting, or travelling, while in bed, or on the couch next to someone using the TV to play/watch something else — the versatility of a handheld is why we play with them, not for graphical superiority.
That said, I’m firmly in the play it on PS5 camp — or on an Xbox or a decent PC — when it comes to Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth. The Switch 2 version is fine, but it’s frankly not the best way to experience the adventure
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