Six years on from the launch of Final Fantasy 7 Remake on PlayStation 4, Square Enix has finally brought the coveted title to Nintendo’s latest handheld, the Switch 2. 

Much has been written about how excellently the title re-imagines the 1997 classic in such a faithful and enhancing way. All of that still stands here with the Intergrade edition including all the additional enhancements and side story content in the Switch 2 port.

With FF7 Remake looking as good as it does, I wasn’t sure what to expect when it came to the game’s performance – especially given this would be my first outing with the title on any platform. Despite my initial fears, Square Enix has managed to extract every ounce of power from the Switch 2, quickly making it what I think is now the ideal platform to play it on.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake might have initially launched on PlayStation 4, but the Switch 2 port bearing the Intergrade subtitle, it borrows plenty of impressive graphical upgrades from the PS5 port too. That includes more impressive lighting and bumped-up resolution textures.

Both of these effects go a long way in making FF7 Remake still feel like a ‘next-gen’ title on Nintendo’s hardware. Combat especially shines with HDR in handheld mode with sparks and explosions proving a real treat for the eyes.

Load times are also a major boon for the game on Switch 2 with it launching into a save in under 30 seconds from hitting play on the main menu. Transitioning to new chapter areas is also barely noticeable, compared to the PS4 which notoriously took ages to load on its ageing hard drives.

As you might expect, there are a few compromises to be had. Hair especially can look a little fuzzy at times when playing in handheld mode, a clear sign that some sort of resolution upscaling is doing work to get the game running in a portable fashion.

However, the overall presentation of the game feels remarkably well rounded. The frame rate might be capped to 30fps, but I never once felt like this hampered the experience – and that’s coming from a PC gamer.

Outside of a couple dropped frames during intense combat, the frame pacing in FF7 feels rock solid. Combine that with the 1080p resolution that has the UI looking extremely sharp on the Switch 2’s LCD screen, it adds up to a gameplay experience that feels on par with consoles far superior in power to Nintendo’s handheld.

FF7 Remake impressed audiences back in 2020 for how it thoughtfully re-imagined the 1997 PS1 title for today’s audiences. With a brand new third-person perspective and an impressive 3D-rendered world, it provides newer audiences with a way to experience the first act of the beloved story without having to go back to the outdated gameplay of old.

The story quickly picks up with Avalanche, an anti-hero terrorist group hellbent on taking down Shinra, an electrical power company that’s wreaking havoc on the planet by draining its resources. It’s a narrative that feels especially poignant even today, and one that’s fascinating to watch the politics play out during its runtime.

Perhaps the most impressive bit of innovation with FF7 Remake is its combat system. The original game had turn-based combat, but this has been turned into a sort of hybrid system for the more action-oriented folks of today.

Protagonist Cloud and his party can each use active abilities bound to various button combinations, but time can also be paused to dish out attacks and potions in a more tactical manner whenever you like. It gives players the best of both worlds depending on their combat preference, and just as it did on PlayStation, it works fantastically on Switch 2.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade was already a fantastic title to begin with, but it truly shines on Nintendo Switch 2. Being able to take this beloved adventure on the go is a real treat, especially given how Square Enix has managed to utilise Nintendo’s hardware to its full potential.

It also bodes extremely well for future Final Fantasy 7 games on Switch 2. The series director has confirmed that both Rebirth and the forthcoming third entry are planned to release on the hardware.

Rebirth is notoriously more tricky to run due to its open world nature, so we’ll maintain our reservations until we see it in action on the portable device. However, the first part of Final Fantasy 7’s story makes an incredible impression and is absolutely worth picking up if you’re looking to experience it on a handheld.