Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade — A Gorgeous Retelling That Can't Quite Escape the Shadow of the Original

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade — A Gorgeous Retelling That Can't Quite Escape the Shadow of the Original

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 as one of the most visually stunning titles on the platform, breathing new life into Midgar's grimy streets and neon-soaked slums. Square Enix's ambitious reimagining of the 1997 classic expands the original's five-to-six-hour Midgar section into a roughly thirty-hour experience, complete with the Episode INTERmission DLC starring Yuffie Kisaragi. It's a technical showcase and a love letter to fans — but as someone who grew up with the original, this retelling left me with mixed feelings about whether all that expansion was truly necessary.

Wokeness: 0.5

This isn't a game drowning in agenda, but there are noticeable nods that feel deliberately placed rather than organic. Biggs sporting a right earring, the revamped Honey Bee Inn dance sequence — these additions don't serve the narrative or gameplay in any meaningful way. They feel like checkboxes being ticked for inclusivity's sake. It's not egregious or in-your-face, but it's there, and the development hours spent on these flourishes could have been redirected toward improving the painfully generic side quests. It's a light tip of the hat to the less-than-one-percent crowd that adds nothing of substance to the experience.

Gameplay: 8.5

Combat starts strong with a satisfying blend of real-time action and the classic ATB system, but the balance falters as you progress. Enemies become noticeably spongey on Normal difficulty, and I eventually dropped to Easy just to keep things moving — not because I couldn't handle it, but because chipping away at health bars stopped being fun. Boss encounters sometimes obscure their intended strategy, leading to trial-and-error victories rather than satisfying "eureka" moments. That said, playing as Yuffie in the INTERmission DLC is an absolute blast — she's fast, fluid, and versatile, zipping between ranged attacks and close-quarters strikes like a ninja should. Part of me still yearns for a pure turn-based system with these gorgeous visuals, but the combat here is serviceable when it's not testing your patience. The side quests, however, are a different story entirely. They feel like they were developed by a completely separate team — generic fetch quests with none of the charm or gravitas of the main storyline. I started doing them, then abandoned them entirely. Pure filler.

Story: 8.0

Here's where this remake stumbles hardest for fans of the original. Sephiroth's early and frequent involvement robs him of the mystique that made him one of gaming's greatest villains. In 1997, Shinra was the primary antagonist for the Midgar arc, and Sephiroth lurked as a terrifying unknown — here, he's practically a co-star from the jump. Aerith's characterization also feels off; she's been pushed into a more assertive, almost protagonist-level role that undermines the quiet strength her femininity gave her in the original. She stands in opposition to Sephiroth rather than Cloud, which disrupts the dynamic that made the original's story so compelling. The Hojo Lab dungeon is unnecessary padding, and much of the thirty-hour runtime feels stretched thin. On the positive side, the expanded characterization of Jessie, Wedge, and Biggs is genuinely welcome — these characters finally get the depth they deserved. But overall, the story changes feel like they're fixing what wasn't broken.

Graphics: 9.5

This is arguably the best-looking game on Nintendo Switch 2 right now. Midgar is breathtaking — the detail in the Sector 7 slums, the imposing Shinra tower, the particle effects during combat — it's all stunning. There were occasional moments of pixelation that pulled me out of the experience, but they were rare enough that the overall visual presentation left me in awe. Seeing a childhood favorite rendered with this level of fidelity is something special, and Square Enix deserves full credit for the technical achievement here.

Audio: 9.0

I never once muted this game. The reimagined soundtrack honors Nobuo Uematsu's legendary compositions while adding orchestral depth and new arrangements that feel fresh without losing their soul. Voice acting is largely excellent, ambient sound design brings Midgar to life, and combat audio has satisfying weight. This is a game meant to be experienced with the volume up.

Replayability: 5.5

Here's the honest truth: if I wanted to replay Final Fantasy VII, I'd reach for the original. This remake is a good game, but it doesn't compel me to return the way the 1997 classic does. The bloated side quests offer no incentive for a second pass, and the story changes don't reward repeated viewings — they just remind you of what was altered. Hard mode exists for those wanting a challenge, but given the sponge issues on Normal, I'm not eager to sign up for more of that.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on Switch 2 is a good game — let's be clear about that. It's gorgeous, it sounds phenomenal, and when the combat clicks, it really clicks. But it lives in the long shadow of a masterpiece, and the changes it makes to story and structure don't always justify their existence. The padding is noticeable, the side quests are forgettable, and some character decisions feel like they miss what made the original resonate so deeply. If you've never played Final Fantasy VII, this is a perfectly fine entry point. But for those of us who lived through 1997, the original remains the definitive experience.