Final – Gaming Master https://gaming.vmondeika.com Get daily gaming updates with us Sat, 13 Jun 2026 16:38:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 Final Fantasy VII Revelation was built in three years because 95% of the team stayed https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-vii-revelation-was-built-in-three-years-because-95-of-the-team-stayed/ https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-vii-revelation-was-built-in-three-years-because-95-of-the-team-stayed/#respond Sat, 13 Jun 2026 16:38:31 +0000 https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-vii-revelation-was-built-in-three-years-because-95-of-the-team-stayed/ [ad_1]

TL;DR

FF7 Revelation took 3 years vs the usual 5+ because 95% of the team stayed from Rebirth. Square Enix’s most efficient cycle ever.

Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the conclusion to the remake trilogy, will launch in spring 2027. That is just three years after the second game, Rebirth. By modern AAA standards, where five years or longer is typical, that is fast.

Director Naoki Hamaguchi told Bloomberg the reason is simple: 95% of the development team stayed together from Rebirth. “The big benefit of the Final Fantasy VII Remake series is that we never had to go through that process, so the transition was extremely quick,” he said.

The industry norm is to disband teams after each release, then spend months reassembling for the next project. New people need new roles, new trust, new workflows. Hamaguchi avoided all of it by starting Revelation’s design a year before Rebirth shipped, then moving the same team straight into production.

The results show in the numbers. Remake took years of pre-production. Rebirth took four years. Revelation took three. Each game shipped faster than the last with the same people doing the work. Hamaguchi and Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida are the only two leaders at Square Enix who maintain persistent teams across projects. Both run the company’s most successful franchises.

I think it’s something that we should be mindful of as a company,” Hamaguchi said. “Because this did bring out a really huge benefit in terms of speeding up and having an efficient development timeline.

The lesson arrives at a brutal moment. Xbox is planning major layoffs in July under new CEO Asha Sharma. Microsoft and Meta have cut tens of thousands of jobs this year while redirecting spending to AI. The gaming industry lost 11% of developers in 2024 according to GDC’s annual survey, with 41% affected directly or through their teams.

Hamaguchi’s interview also revealed design decisions shaped by player feedback. Mini-game rewards in Revelation will be purely cosmetic, not tied to combat strategy as they were in Rebirth. The Highwind airship will let players fly around the entire world with no invisible walls, a feature Hamaguchi pushed through despite engineering objections. A new job system called FITS offers four unique classes per character, each with deep skill-tree progression.

Only four or five people at Square Enix knew the title “Revelation” before it was announced. Hundreds of developers learned the name at the same time as the public.

After Revelation ships, Hamaguchi said his next project will not be a remake. He is considering a AA title, a new Final Fantasy, or an original AAA franchise. He would love to keep the team together but acknowledged the tension: holding talent in two persistent teams “staggers and hinders the growth of the company.Tech companies keep cutting teams and wondering why the next thing takes so long. Hamaguchi proved what happens when you don’t.

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Final Fantasy Resonance brings an all new HD-2D game with classic turn-based action https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-resonance-brings-an-all-new-hd-2d-game-with-classic-turn-based-action/ https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-resonance-brings-an-all-new-hd-2d-game-with-classic-turn-based-action/#respond Fri, 12 Jun 2026 03:12:35 +0000 https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-resonance-brings-an-all-new-hd-2d-game-with-classic-turn-based-action/

It took a while to get going, but the Nintendo Direct has started firing out some exciting new announcements, and for Switch-owning Final Fantasy fans, the appearance of Final Fantasy Resonance, an all-new HD-2D pixel-art entry in the series, should keep them very happy indeed.

Final Fantasy Resonance is launching on 22nd October for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and PC.

Final Fantasy Resonance is set in the world of Lapis, a place beset by evildoers, that lies on the edge of annihilation. You play as Rain, a knight of Gransheld, who must travel across the world taking down monsters and badguys in turn-based combat. There’s some clear Octopath Traveller vibes going on, but this also leans more heavily on 3D areas and 2D sprites, to give it its own feel.

You can also call upon Visions – Final Fantasy stars from other games, including the iconic Cloud Strife – to help you in battle, unleashing powerful moves and abilities as you do. These seem to take the form of full CGI cutscenes, which might feel a bit odd, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see how it turns out.

Either way, you won’t have to wait all that long to get your hands on this one. It’s just four months away!

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Final Fantasy Revelation Will Contain Even More Minigames Than Rebirth https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-revelation-will-contain-even-more-minigames-than-rebirth/ https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-revelation-will-contain-even-more-minigames-than-rebirth/#respond Thu, 11 Jun 2026 23:53:22 +0000 https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-revelation-will-contain-even-more-minigames-than-rebirth/
FF7 Revelation
Image: Square Enix

As good as Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is, a lot of folks are in agreement that it suffered from poor pacing and an overstuffed world full of needless minigames.

Well, if you hoped that the upcoming sequel, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, would be a bit more streamlined, then you’d best just set your expectations accordingly. In a new interview with VGC, director Naoki Hamaguchi confirms that Revelations will actually have more minigames than its predecessor.

This comes from a desire to stick to the original vision and not bend over backwards to address fan feedback. If the team tried to fix absolutely everything that fans weren’t completely satisfied with, then you’d wind up with a game that “doesn’t really have any character”.

Here’s what he had to say:

“What I can say for Revelation is that it will feature as many mini-games as it did in Rebirth, if not more. I did not want to make a cut on that aspect. I didn’t want to reduce the number of mini-games. We’ll see how it turns out in terms of the fan feedback, but I will take that responsibility, depending on what happens. That was my decision.”

Despite this, Hamaguchi-san does confirm that some minigames can be skipped altogether; so even though there are more, it sounds like you’ll have more agency as to which ones you actually engage with.

The interview also naturally turns to how Revelation might conclude, and although Hamaguchi-san refrains from providing any specific details (thank goodness), it sounds like the team is satisfied with the overall conclusion, saying “I think we’re pretty confident and happy with how it’s turned out”.

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Final Fantasy 7 DLC coming to PowerWash Simulator https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-7-dlc-coming-to-powerwash-simulator/ https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-7-dlc-coming-to-powerwash-simulator/#respond Sun, 07 Jun 2026 05:48:32 +0000 https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-7-dlc-coming-to-powerwash-simulator/

UPDATE 15/2/23: PowerWash Simulator’s free Final Fantasy DLC arrives on 2nd March, and will be accessible here in the UK from 5pm local time.

Five levels requiring your cleaning attention will include the Hardy Daytona motorbike and Shinra Hauler, the Scorpion Sentinel, the Seventh Heaven bar, the Mako Energy Exhibit and the Airbuster.

As with the game’s previous Tomb Raider DLC, this pack will be available to all owners at the game for no extra charge. Which is kind! Developer Futurlab could really have cleaned up.

ORIGINAL STORY 31/1/23:
Final Fantasy 7 is the next game to receive DLC in PowerWash Simulator.

The Midgar Special Pack will include the Hardy-Daytona – Cloud’s motorbike from the iconic city escape sequence – as well as Tifa’s bar Seventh Heaven, and Guard Scorpion – the first boss encountered in the game.

There’s currently no release date for this DLC, which has been announced by Square Enix Japan.

PowerWash Simulator | Tomb Raider Special Pack Release DateWatch on YouTube

This will be the second free DLC following the Tomb Raider pack that’s released today, which will allow players to clean Croft Manor as part of a new five-level mini campaign.

No doubt Lara fans will be eager to discover as many Easter eggs as possible.

This DLC comes alongside a release of the game for PlayStation consoles and Nintendo Switch. Until now, it’s been available only on PC and Xbox (including Game Pass).

The game is published by Square Enix – creators of Final Fantasy and previous owners of Tomb Raider, until rights were sold to Embracer – so perhaps more themed DLC could be on the way.

What game would you like to see get the PowerWash treatment next?



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Square Enix reveal Final Fantasy 7: Revelation, the final part of the remake trilogy, coming to PC in 2027 https://gaming.vmondeika.com/square-enix-reveal-final-fantasy-7-revelation-the-final-part-of-the-remake-trilogy-coming-to-pc-in-2027/ https://gaming.vmondeika.com/square-enix-reveal-final-fantasy-7-revelation-the-final-part-of-the-remake-trilogy-coming-to-pc-in-2027/#respond Sat, 06 Jun 2026 00:36:47 +0000 https://gaming.vmondeika.com/square-enix-reveal-final-fantasy-7-revelation-the-final-part-of-the-remake-trilogy-coming-to-pc-in-2027/


Square Enix have announced the third part of their Final Fantasy 7 action RPG remake trilogy. It’s called Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, and it’s out on all platforms including PC in spring 2027. Yep, there’s no wait for a port this time. We get to live out the closing act of Cloud Strife’s journey and participate in the associated Discourse at the same time as those console gremlins.


The publishers dropped a trailer for Revelation at this year’s Summer Game Fest, revealing two additional/returning playable characters – Vincent Valentine and Cid Highwind. They’ll join Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Red XIII, Yuffie and Cait Sith on a mission to avert an apocalyptic Meteor spell and defeat swishy bad boy Sephiroth, who is on the brink of godhood. They’ll also jump out of airships a lot, in curious echo of the battle royale genre.

Watch on YouTube


“The entire planet is freely explorable via the iconic Highwind airship,” explains the press release. “Players can drop in via parachute anywhere, seamlessly transitioning from air to land. With Meteor descending and enormous Weapons unleashing terror, the planet’s conflicts are many, and the party will need to divide and conquer.


“Choose where to go, who to help and in what order as the planet itself fights for survival,” it continues. “Make one last stand alongside a beloved cast of legendary heroes, making decisions along the journey that can impact aspects of their stories. Customize combat by switching between real-time action and Tactical Mode in the series’ acclaimed hybrid battle system, now expanded and perfected with new playable characters and powerful new abilities.”


New areas in Revelation include the Mideel archipelago, the nation of Wutai, and the ice-locked Northern Continent. As for those new characters, Vincent is still the nimble gunslinger of yore, while Cid is a brute with a polearm, “quickly closing the distance for powerful single-target lance strikes or sweeping area-of-effect damage.”


There are some warm words from individual developers. “All the stories and emotions accumulated over the years will culminate in the most satisfying way with this experience, brought to you as the series’ final chapter,” enthuses director Naoki Hamaguchi. It’s certainly been fascinating and, at times, alarming, watching Square Enix explore the knotty extended universe and legacy of the 1997 RPG in the Remake trilogy.


I confess, I fell off the remake train after finishing the original FF7 Remake, released in 2020. I’ve yet to touch the second instalment, Rebirth; everything I know about it comes from Nic’s (RPS in peace) absolutely stonking review of the PC version, which doubles as a dissection of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. To boil his fine words down to the bones, he characterises it as project made with love yet cruelly stretched between eras in game design. Now I face the grim ordeal of deciding whether I have the time and energy to play Rebirth, with all its flaws, in order to play Revelation next year.

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Final Fantasy VII Revelation Officially Unveiled For Switch 2, Out Spring 2027 https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-vii-revelation-officially-unveiled-for-switch-2-out-spring-2027/ https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-vii-revelation-officially-unveiled-for-switch-2-out-spring-2027/#respond Fri, 05 Jun 2026 23:29:27 +0000 https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-vii-revelation-officially-unveiled-for-switch-2-out-spring-2027/
Final Fantasy VII Revelation
Image: Square Enix

At the Summer Game Fest 2026, Square Enix has officially unveiled the third and final part in the Final Fantasy remake trilogy. It’s officially titled Final Fantasy VII Revelation.

This next chapter, following Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, will be a simultaneous release across all platforms including the Switch 2.

Square Enix has also shared a first look at this new chapter and some additional details via some PR:

As the world teeters on the brink of annihilation, the final battle against Sephiroth begins.

A meteor mars the sky, monstrous planetary guardians wreak havoc across the globe, and the fires of war rage. Now, Cloud and his companions must stand against this chaos to not only decide the planet’s fate, but bring a legendary conflict to its conclusion.

In the final chapter of the FINAL FANTASY VII remake project, the scale has never been larger and the stakes have never been higher. Take to the skies and explore a boundless world, fight alongside a fully assembled party, master strategic and dynamic combat, and prepare yourself for the climactic finale.

A vast planet awaits. Everything leads here.

This official reveal follows the release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on the Switch 2 earlier this week. Check out our review for more information. There’s also a demo available on the Nintendo eShop.

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Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Switch 2 Review – An unmissable portable RPG https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-switch-2-review-an-unmissable-portable-rpg/ https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-switch-2-review-an-unmissable-portable-rpg/#respond Thu, 04 Jun 2026 06:43:37 +0000 https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-switch-2-review-an-unmissable-portable-rpg/

How long we continue to think about ‘miracle’ ports or mull over day-and-date releases for the Switch 2 remains to be seen, but for now, here’s another one. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second of Square Enix’s lavish reimagining of the series most iconic entry, and after appearing on PS5 and PC, it’s now making its way to Xbox Series consoles and Nintendo’s Switch 2. Where Final Fantasy VII Remake was a constrained and contained portion of the world of Midgar, Rebirth opens that world up in any number of ways, from its expansive open world sections through to a cavalcade of side quests, mini-games and optional activities, but how does it hold up on Switch 2?

The big question is whether the Switch 2 can cope with the sheer size and visual fidelity of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. It remains a visual high point for the franchise, including the most recent mainline entry Final Fantasy XIV, and it looks absolutely stunning on PS5 and PS5 Pro. On Switch 2? Things are more subdued, and there’s some obvious visual cutbacks and downsides to playing here compared to the other platforms. That said, this is still a remarkably good-looking game, and for Nintendo owners or those looking for a portable Final Fantasy experience, what Square Enix have managed to squeeze onto the console remains deeply impressive.

Firstly, Rebirth runs at 30fps on Switch 2, as you would expect. It is mostly stable, and while it doesn’t feel as fluid as it does on more powerful hardware, for the type of game it is, there are few reasons to be too upset about it. There will be drops. It can’t stick to 30fps if you’ve got an intense battle going on, or if you’re trying to race through a larger or more detailed area, and there’s the odd hitch going into cutscenes too.

These are wobbles though, compared to the whole thing tanking, and it tends to be feel solid and smooth. Most Switch 2 owners have come to terms with the fact that 60fps is largely beyond the portable’s hardware with these cross-platform releases, especially in challenging 3D open world areas, but the fact that it can pull it off sufficiently is reason to celebrate.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – Switch 2 – open world

There is, however, a lot of pop-in, especially when you’re in outdoor or open world areas. That was present in the PS5 version, but it’s much more obvious here, perhaps because of the reduced level of detail and foliage. There is a clear delineation around your player character, where shadows, level detail and enemies and NPCs expand and pop into existence. It’s obvious right from the outset during your initial mission with Tifa and Sephiroth, and if you’re sensitive to it, it is going to break your sense of immersion and the world’s solidity.

The Switch 2’s main party trick here is DLSS. The temporal super-sampling tech allows for a much lower base resolution to be juiced up to something much higher than what is actually being rendered, and that means that games like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth look much better than they might on roughly equivalent hardware. It’s still a softer looking image and with those compromises, but it’s far better than without DLSS upscaling.

If we consider the PC version’s minimum specs, they target a GTX 2060, which is slightly higher than the Switch 2’s fundamental power, but with the advantage of a set spec, and more modern architecture, the Switch 2 can output a higher resolution thanks to DLSS. That said, the PC’s low-graphics option bears many of the same hallmarks in terms of pop-in and reduced level detail, aiming for the same 30fps.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – Switch 2 – Aerith dialogue

The character models still look fantastic, and the cutscenes maintain all of the drama and emotion they did before, with the one remaining caveat: hair. Switch 2 versions of other games simply can’t handle the same level of hair detail and fidelity, and whether it’s Cloud’s trademark spikes or Sephiroth’s luscious grey mane, there’s a big reduction in how they look, DLSS adding frizz and dithering to maintain some of the natural effect. In reality, it’s fine, and thankfully, it’s not all that obvious in moment-to-moment gameplay, only really becoming obvious during cutscenes or interstitial moments.

While the graphics are clearly lower quality, what helps to sell the experience is the fantastic voice acting and music. From an auditory point of view, this is an immensely high-quality production, and those production values are still clear to see in the Switch 2 release. Whether it’s the reimagined tracks or interactions between Cloud, Tifa, and the wider cast, it’s grandiose, cinematic and dramatic, and you’ll find yourself thoroughly wrapped up in the world, characters and story thanks to the audio.

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“One discovers, one guides, and one strikes the final blow”: Ikumi Nakamura’s new yokai-hunting game Kemuri is turning co-op into a ritual, somehow https://gaming.vmondeika.com/one-discovers-one-guides-and-one-strikes-the-final-blow-ikumi-nakamuras-new-yokai-hunting-game-kemuri-is-turning-co-op-into-a-ritual-somehow/ https://gaming.vmondeika.com/one-discovers-one-guides-and-one-strikes-the-final-blow-ikumi-nakamuras-new-yokai-hunting-game-kemuri-is-turning-co-op-into-a-ritual-somehow/#respond Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:20:17 +0000 https://gaming.vmondeika.com/one-discovers-one-guides-and-one-strikes-the-final-blow-ikumi-nakamuras-new-yokai-hunting-game-kemuri-is-turning-co-op-into-a-ritual-somehow/


Our chums at PlayStation have shared more about Kemuri, the giddy new third-person action game from a team lead by former Tango Gameworks developer and E3 2019 scene-stealer Ikumi Nakamura. In case you missed the 2023 announcement, it casts you as an athletic yokai hunter swooping and flipping around a “sprawling vertical city”. The obvious reference point is Ghostwire: Tokyo, Nakamura’s previous and more ponderous yokai-hunting project for Tango. She left the studio before that game’s completion, but she appears to have brought a lot of the same inspirations to Kemuri. Here’s a video.

Watch on YouTube


Kemuri’s city is full of hidden otherworldly beings, ranging from interpretations of real-life folklore to original creations. Some of them are huge – there’s a Godzilla-sized walking skeleton, for example. You can scry these yokai by forming a “foxwindow” with your thumb and index finger. Once revealed, you can then beat them up and transform them into “Possession Apparel”, which sounds like a class system. The announcement details three broad playstyles – fisticuffs, archery and magic. I hope it gets more elaborate than that.


Among the mysteries of Kemuri is how the online works. There’s traditional co-op for up to three – hence, the three broad playstyles above – but Nakamura has also hinted at some nebulous, perhaps even FromSoftwary networking during singleplayer. “Even in single-player, you are never truly alone in this city,” she explains in a PlayStation blog post. “Distinctive hunters and contracted yokai are always by your side. Before you realize it, you may find yourself stepping deeper into the city’s paranormal anomalies while sensing someone else’s presence nearby.”

Watch on YouTube


The explicit co-op also seems a bit arcane. “Together, players dive into the city as one discovers, one guides, and one strikes the final blow,” Nakamura goes on. “And somewhere within that cooperation, you may begin to notice something strange: Even when looking at the same world, each player may see it just a little differently.” Hmm, I like the idea of spooky discrepancies between player sessions. It will make it easier to explain why I keep leaving allies in the lurch. I also like the implication that co-op is a ritual with players fulfilling different roles, rather than being clones of each other.


Kemuri is currently down for a 2027 release on PS5. Unlike Sony’s God of War Laufey and Wolverine, it’s also been confirmed for PC. Dear Unseen Inc, please include some kind of freefall mechanic – in places this reminds me of Gravity Rush.

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Round Up: The Reviews Are In For Final Fantasy VII Rebirth On Switch 2 https://gaming.vmondeika.com/round-up-the-reviews-are-in-for-final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-on-switch-2/ https://gaming.vmondeika.com/round-up-the-reviews-are-in-for-final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-on-switch-2/#respond Tue, 02 Jun 2026 20:53:55 +0000 https://gaming.vmondeika.com/round-up-the-reviews-are-in-for-final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-on-switch-2/

Of course, we’re not the only ones with a review out there, so below we’ve rounded up a handful of ’em to show the spread of opinions across the web. And yes, the following are only about the Switch 2 version — you’ll find no PS5 or PC thoughts in here!

We’ll kick things off with a meaty 9.5/10 from Gaming Boulevard, describing Rebirth as one of Switch 2’s “defining showcase titles”:

Rebirth isn’t merely another major third-party release arriving on Nintendo hardware. It’s proof that the platform can host modern blockbuster RPGs without sacrificing their identities.

RPGamer was similarly optimistic in its 4.5/5 review, with the performance being the only minor sticking point:

Technical compromises aside, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth stands as one of the best RPGs currently available on Switch 2 and a hugely impressive new realization of a classic that already defined the genre decades ago.

CGMagazine came in with a marginally lower 8.5/10:

I still think this is a must-play; Rebirth is one of the best games of the current generation, and even with its warts here, it deserves to be experienced by lapsed Final Fantasy fans or avid JRPG players alike.

Much like us, Pocket Tactics gave Rebirth an 8/10, and described the port as the “superior way to play portably” over the Steam Deck:

I’m primarily a portable gamer, meaning I’m much more forgiving of ropey graphics and framerate drops, so I happily completed Rebirth, and if I ever choose to do another replay, it will definitely be on the Switch 2.

Finally, COGconnected rounds us out with an 80/100, pointing to many of the performance pitfalls outlined above:

Rather than obsessing over what’s running at what framerate, I found myself instantly sucked into the game once more. It takes no time at all to forget that I’m playing a port. Which is high praise, especially for a Nintendo console.


Everyone seems pretty positive, no? The Switch 2 port currently sits at an 86 Metascore based on 27 reviews — a notable drop from the 92 of its PS5 counterpart, but perfectly respectful nonetheless.

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Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review (Switch 2) https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-review-switch-2/ https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-review-switch-2/#respond Tue, 02 Jun 2026 12:09:05 +0000 https://gaming.vmondeika.com/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-review-switch-2/

When Square Enix originally announced that Final Fantasy VII Remake was coming to Switch 2, it came with the promise that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and its eventual sequel would also be coming. While Remake established itself as one of the finest and most advanced titles for Nintendo’s new platform, there was lots of talk about whether the same would be true for the next instalment.

Known for its significantly expanded scope and open world, 2024’s Rebirth was a system showcase on more powerful hardware, and squeezing it down to a handheld seemed an impossible task. Though it doesn’t make the leap unscathed, I’m happy to report that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is every bit as engaging and enjoyable as the versions you can find on other platforms – this is easily one of the greatest JRPGs of the last several years, and that’s still true of the Switch 2 port.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review - Screenshot 1 of 10
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)

Following on from the thrilling conclusion to Remake, Rebirth continues the journey of Cloud and the gang as they leave behind Midgar to pursue and confront Sephiroth before he can bring about the shared vision they received of the planet’s ultimate destruction.

The far-reaching consequences of the party’s choice at the end of their last adventure are still unknown, leading to a delightful tension as you move through the story not entirely sure if events will play out in quite the same way that they did the first time we experienced this world in 1997. While there’s still more yet to come with the planned Part 3 finale of this years-long project, this middle chapter nonetheless still feels like it tells a satisfying standalone narrative.

As you explore all corners of this much wider and expanded world, the interpersonal dynamics and relationships of the party are often brought to the forefront, highlighting the family-like nature of this eccentric band of warriors, flower-pickers, bartenders, and ninjas.

Yuffie is the dorky little sister of the group, while Cloud is the aloof but caring older brother, and the banter between them and all the party members as they forge a new fate for their world helps to keep the occasionally oddly-paced plot from feeling too awkward. This is a story that’s just as much about these people learning to trust and understand each other as it is about the quest that brought them together in the first place, which makes the finale of their penultimate outing all that much more impactful.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review - Screenshot 2 of 10
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)

I also loved how the storytelling effectively straddles cartoonish absurdity and gritty seriousness. The same game that portrays an incredibly graphic incident in which a village is burned to the ground with most of its inhabitants beneath also has no problem introducing an adorable dolphin companion whose playful aid is a mandatory component of plot progression. In a lesser game, such conflicting tones would run the risk of making the story seem unfocused and meandering, but Rebirth knows how to balance its various plot components to make for an adventure that feels as whimsical as it is unpredictable.

In stark contrast to Remake, which was a largely linear experience, Rebirth throws the doors wide open by giving you a massive open world to explore at your leisure. Spread out over a handful of densely packed zones, there are a variety of side quests, world activities, and minigames that lead to an incredibly varied gameplay loop which feels expansive without feeling like it devolves into an overdone checklist of copy and paste content.

Not only are there many well-written sub-narratives and character moments stashed away in various side quests, but every activity feels like it meaningfully contributes to the gameplay loop without being tacked on for the sake of padding the runtime.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review - Screenshot 3 of 10
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)

For example, not only do Lifesprings grant you rare crafting resources and some interesting notebook entries that expand on the lore for the region, but finding them all in a zone unlocks a unique boss hunt in the region that acts as its own reward above and beyond the resources it grants you.

The clever way in which the various activities have been neatly threaded together with both gameplay and story relevance makes it incredibly easy to get sucked into taking a couple of hours to complete everything on a portion of the map you just happened to be running through, powering up with rewards and learning more about the region as you go.

This is easily one of the most addictive open-world games I’ve played in a while, striking that balance between meaningful content density and giving you and the environment room to breathe. Roaming the land atop a chocobo, I never felt at a loss for interesting things nearby to get caught up in, but I also felt like the current region was usually wrapping up right around that point where the content fatigue was just beginning to set in.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review - Screenshot 4 of 10
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)

Perhaps best of all, you aren’t required to do any of it; all the optional content that fills the world is there for those who want to dig in deeper, while those who just want to keep the story moving can do so without worrying about being woefully underpowered.

When you get pulled into fights, combat largely continues the system pioneered in Remake, with some welcome tweaks that make it feel both snappier and more strategic. Somewhat similar to the Xenoblade games, there’s a balance here between basic, quick attacks and more powerful abilities governed by cooldowns.

As you mash the attack button and guard against incoming attacks, you’ll build up part of your ATB gauge with each hit. Once a bar fills, you can then essentially freeze time while you select a spell or ability from the quick menu to help level the playing field more. This is where you can take advantage of elemental weaknesses an enemy may have and more effectively build up their stagger bar, which will temporarily stun them and lower their defence once it’s filled.

Every playable character has their own distinctive playstyle, creating a lot of gameplay variety to play around with as you switch between party members in the heat of battle. Tifa’s kit is built around close combat and building up stagger meters, with a signature ability that can manually raise her ‘chi’ level and enable her to deal more damage. Barret, on the other hand, specialises in long-range combat with his arm cannon and introduces a subtle rhythm element to the rotation where well-timed button presses charge his cannon faster.

To tie it all together and to encourage you to swap around the party more mid-fight, Rebirth has added in Synergy Skills and Abilities, iterating on a mechanic introduced in the Episode INTERmission DLC from Remake. Unlocked through each character’s skill tree, these powerful moves will see active party members teaming up for spectacular combo attacks that usually lead to some temporary bonus effect like no MP costs on spells or a more rapidly charging ATB gauge. These take some setup and planning to pull off, but just one of them activated at the correct moment can turn the tide of a fight that slowly wasn’t going the right way.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review - Screenshot 5 of 10
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)

All of this makes for an electric action combat system that manages to be fast-paced and energetic without descending into a mess of particle effects and mindless button mashing. There’s just as much focus on careful planning and strategy as there is on raw skill and dexterity, creating an interesting push and pull where you oscillate between beating up foes while reacting to enemy attacks and taking a quick breather to decide what spell to cast next and whether you should switch to another character to start building towards another Synergy Ability.

With practice, you start to pick up on the nuances of each character and how to operate your party as a singular unit that’s stronger than the sum of its parts, leading to a tremendous sense of satisfaction when you take down a mighty foe through incisive exploitation of its weaknesses by leveraging your active party’s strengths. Few games out there manage to balance turn-based and action combat so elegantly – Square has set a high bar for itself to meet for the inevitable Part 3 conclusion.

When it comes to tinkering with your party, the Materia system has returned as the central component of character building, allowing for a more flexible take on a class system that lets you mix and match moves and abilities. Obtained as shop, exploration, or combat rewards, Materia orbs represent individual spells or abilities which can be levelled independently to enhance their effectiveness. Some can be linked to others to enhance their effects, such as the Magnify Materia turning a single target spell into an AoE, while others will grant flat bumps to various stats, such as health or luck.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review - Screenshot 6 of 10
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)

Materia fits seamlessly with the flexibility of the open-world design, giving you all sorts of options to try out with various team compositions as you swap characters and loadouts to accommodate whatever content you’re challenging. Sometimes it’s best to load up Aerith with attack spells against a boss with various elemental weaknesses, while other times it’s better to swap some of those spells out for more defensive options that favour healing and aggro control. No Materia is locked to any one character, giving you a lot of leeway to mix various roles as you build your team to their strengths.

Each character also has a folio skill tree you can access, where SP earned from each level up can be invested in new abilities and passive stat bumps. These are each tailored to the intended strengths of each character, such as Aerith having many magic and MP-related nodes in hers, but there’s also still lots of room for you to prioritise various builds for your character as new nodes are unlocked and you have to make tough decisions about where to invest your limited SP.

When you’re getting tired of exploring the world or beating up monster packs, there are tons of minigames to master that break up the gameplay loop with some refreshing ideas. Whether you’re racing on the backs of chocobos or defending territory in a miniature RTS, a bunch of different genres are explored that are both addictive and surprisingly in-depth without distracting from the core gameplay. As an added plus, it feels like many of these minigames were designed with a handheld device in mind, making them feel right at home on the Switch 2 screen in portable mode.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review - Screenshot 7 of 10
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)

On the topic of minigames, I’d be remiss not to talk a bit about Queen’s Blood, a shockingly deep, ongoing side mode that could legitimately do well as a standalone release. Played on a simple 3×5 grid, this easy-to-learn card game focuses on finding a balance between claiming territory and building up points as you take turns trying to outwit your opponent. There are NPCs scattered throughout the whole game who you can challenge, each of which has a unique card you can win.

What at first just seems like another little time-waster soon reveals mechanical depth as you start to get more into deckbuilding and better understand the meta. Between levelling up your rank, winning powerful cards from rivals, and hoovering up booster packs at new stores you come across, there’s a strong sense of progression as you amass a mountain of cards and design new decks to counter your opponents’ increasingly advanced strategies. Suffice to say, there’s a lot to dig into with this, and it’s impressive how many hours you can drop into this optional mode alone.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review - Screenshot 8 of 10
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)

From a visual standpoint, Rebirth is one of the most impressive titles yet released for the Switch 2, but there are some caveats.

On one hand, the character models are expressive, the fight animations are full of bombast, and the wide shots of the valleys and mountains of the regions you explore capture the grandeur of the expansive world. In so many ways, this release compares favourably to other platforms.

And yet, some concessions have had to be made to fit this on a portable device. Regardless of whether you’re in a smaller environment or out in the open world, the resolution is noticeably fuzzy and soft around the edges, as if you’re viewing the action through smudged glasses. Meanwhile, pop-in is abundant, with all kinds of environmental assets loading in constantly right in front of you if you’re moving too quickly, and distant enemies will sometimes be completely frozen in place until you get close enough to them for their animations kick in.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review - Screenshot 9 of 10
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)

Amid all this, the frame rate does its best to adhere to 30fps, and it largely does so. But there are many moments where it appears to dip into somewhere in the low-to-mid-20s when there’s too much happening at once on screen. These frame drops weren’t serious enough to interrupt or alter my gameplay experience, but they’re both frequent and significant enough to be a noticeable issue.

All of which is to say, this is not the version of Rebirth to play if you’re particularly sensitive to graphical or performance hiccups. Yet despite the compromises, the overall experience is remarkably consistent, especially in portable mode. This is the epitome of a port that looks ‘good enough’ — there’s a fair amount to validly scrutinise about the image quality, but it’s also not difficult to ignore those rougher edges as you immerse yourself in this engaging world.

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