Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth demo now available for Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox

Starting April 28, a free demo for Square Enix's Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be available for Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X. The demo contains the first two of the game's 14 chapters. Chapter 1 centers on Cloud's flashback to the infamous Nibelheim incident, while Chapter 2 depicts the party's present-day exploits in the town of Kalm, where they rest and regroup after their climactic escape from Midgar at the end of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Any progress made during the demo will carry over when the full game launches for Switch 2 and Xbox on June 3.

During a Square Enix preview event in New York earlier this month, I was able to briefly take FF7 Rebirth for a spin on Switch 2. As was the case with the full release of FF7 Remake on Switch 2, the cast's typically immaculate hairstyles looked ever-so-slightly crispy in handheld mode, due to the console's use of DLSS AI upscaling. That said, Rebirth does seem to be an improvement over its predecessor in that respect — Sephiroth's long tresses looked fittingly gleaming and glossy as he strutted through a burning Nibelheim, and Red XIII's fuzzy face didn't look much worse for wear compared to the PS5 version. Sure, Aerith and Cloud's character models look like they need a deep conditioner in the bright sunshine atop Kalm's clock tower, but this is really just me looking for nits to pick.

Overall, Rebirth's Switch 2 port looks astonishingly good in Switch 2's portable mode. The lighting and character animations are immaculate. There's no flicker or pop-in to offend the eye. FF7 Rebirth offers a vast world to explore with tons of optional activities to enjoy at your own pace, and being able to do that while curled up in bed in handheld mode is an enticing prospect.

If you're on the fence about purchasing FF7 Rebirth for Switch 2 or Xbox, the demo chapters should give you a pretty clear idea of what to expect from the full game. The first chapter is quite linear and story-driven, but also provides a rich retelling of one of FF7's most vital story elements. It's a sequence that shows off the remake's knack for making these beloved characters even richer and deeper, even though they still feel completely familiar. The second chapter offers more room for freeform exploration by introducing the Queen's Blood card game and allowing access to some of the open-world areas just outside of Kalm. If you've been counting down the days until the June 3 launch of Rebirth on these consoles, this demo should ease the wait a little.

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