Zack Fair’s Story debuted on Switch last week in Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunionan impressive remaster of Favorite PSP 2007 and prequel to Final Fantasy VII. The game launched on multiple platforms, and many feared the Switch version would suffer thanks to the incredibly detailed visuals.
Leave it to the team at Digital Foundry to break it all down for the Switch version. In their in-depth analysis of all versions of the game. Despite being a “remaster”, Crisis Core has been completely rebuilt in Unreal Engine 4, which is why the action is smoother and the world is so beautiful. So, is it consistent on the Switch, or are there any major caveats?
One thing Digital Foundry points out alongside the impressive visual overhaul is that the game’s animations have been carried over from the original PSP game. Some animations therefore seem a bit outdated. The interiors and exteriors are also quite small and while some textures have been updated, many of them have been reused over and over again due to the smaller, mission-based level design. Although the open areas and sections of Midgar seem many better.
Even though the game was rebuilt in Unreal Engine 4, the Switch version of Crisis Core is solid – crisp screen space reflections are present, and many of the remaster’s texture revisions don’t suffer too much (rocky areas and grass are the most notable downgrades here). The overall screen image is a bit darker, however, due to the different gamma configurations on the hybrid console (compared to the PS5).
When it comes to handheld mode, Digital Foundry noticed occupied surfaces and artifacts generated by space effects and screen reflections. Although the most noticeable difference from the Switch version is the use of pod shadows for character models in outdoor spaces.
Finally, the Switch version of the game targets 720p when docked and aims for 30 frames per second at most, and it’s consistent in both areas. The resolution can drop to around 576p, but due to the technology used, this is often not noticeable in more static cutscenes. Offline, while Crisis Core aims for 720p (and again, mostly hits that target), it can drop even lower to 432p. The frame rate is inconsistent with other console releases – and that’s the only thing that keeps this release from being a “high-flying conversion.”
Check out the full video at the top of the article or on the Digital Foundry YouTube Channelthen read our review to find out why we were impressed with this remaster on Switch:
