It is somewhat difficult to believe that Final Fantasy 7 Remake has been out for six years. This does not mean it was ahead of its time; in many ways, it feels like a time capsule of game design trends that have become less common recently. Fortunately, even though parts of it feel a bit dated, it remains a highly enjoyable game that is easy to recommend.

Part of this feeling of age comes from the release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Rebirth expands on Remake’s ideas with great confidence and even rejects some of its mechanics. Rebirth represents evolution and revolution, which naturally makes the original Remake feel slightly outdated by comparison.

However, Remake still feels good on its own. It was released at a unique time, just before pandemic lockdowns began, and during a shift in gaming culture. Looking back, we can see game design trends changing right when this game launched. Remake was one of the last titles to follow the traditions set in the early days of the PlayStation 4. The mission design and the way areas are laid out feel just a little older than the game’s actual release date.

Visually, the game has a strange quality. Even with next-gen upgrades, the main heroes look like PlayStation 5 characters, while many non-player characters look and move like they came from a PlayStation 3 game. These contrasts were noticeable when the game launched, and time has only made them more obvious. These differences likely resulted from the game’s long development time.

Despite this, the game is still brilliant. There is an energy to Remake that is hard to resist. It feels like Final Fantasy has returned to its comfort zone where the developers can thrive. Remake is a re-run of a story we have seen before, but it is also experimental and thoughtful in how it interprets the past. I still love it very much.

This new version for Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 is largely predictable. It is a reliable port of the PlayStation 5 “Intergrade” version, which includes visual upgrades and a standalone DLC campaign that bridges the gap to the sequel. It is a worthy version of the game.

We can keep the analysis of the port simple. The Xbox Series X version is almost identical to the PlayStation 5 version. The main differences are that Xbox lacks the haptic controller feedback, and the load times are slightly longer. However, Xbox has features to offset this, such as Quick Resume, which eliminates long initial load times. Additionally, this version is “Play Anywhere,” allowing you to switch between Xbox and PC easily.

The Switch 2 version is not visually identical to the big consoles. DLSS technology does a lot of work here, rendering the game at a lower resolution and then using AI to upscale it. This is common on the platform, and the results are generally good. It can look a bit dithered, with some textures appearing fuzzy, usually in the background. The hair styles on characters can also be a sticking point, but the result is excellent for the hardware, especially in handheld mode where imperfections are less noticeable.

What you have are two serviceable versions of a fascinating game. The game itself has that time capsule vibe, but the way it plays was never the most interesting thing about FF7 Remake.

This is a gripping game because of what it deals with: the concept of remaking one of the greatest games of all time. It does not do a straight-shot do-over but offers a total rethinking that ends up in conversation with the original. It is fitting that some new versions include a free copy of the original game. To get the best experience, you will eventually want to play both.

There is another reason to play: Rebirth. Rebirth is newer and was nominated for Game of the Year in 2024. It is absolutely brilliant and a fantastic sequel to Remake. Remake is worth playing on its own, but the promise of Rebirth coming to these platforms is a great reason to play Remake now. It builds excitement for the third game, which could seal this trilogy’s reputation as one of the finest in gaming history.

These games deserve to be experienced by more people. That chance is now here for more players than ever before.