Verdict
Resident Evil 7 biohazard’s Nintendo Switch 2 port finally lets us experience the terror of Ethan’s run-in with the Bakers the way Capcom intended, showing off the capabilities of the improved hardware and keeping the scares coming.
Despite being a massive wuss, I'm a huge fan of the Resident Evil games - specifically the first-person, horror-centric ones. Because of my fear, I mostly watch others play these games, but I wanted to test myself. So, I was delighted to take on this Resident Evil 7 Switch 2 review to see how a true port of one of the scariest games of all time fares on Nintendo's latest handheld.
Now, Resident Evil 7 biohazard is nearly ten years old at this point, so this review mostly focuses on the game's performance on the Nintendo Switch 2. That being said, as a quick refresher, this game introduces us to a new, faceless protagonist called Ethan Winters, as he travels to the Baker Estate in Louisiana to rescue his long-missing partner, Mia, from a babysitting gig gone awry.
This isn't the first time we've been able to experience Ethan's terrifying stay with the Bakers portably, but Capcom hasn't had a great hit rate in the past. Previously, you could only play Resident Evil 7 on the Switch as a cloud version, meaning you'd need a consistent, strong internet connection, removing any portability from the console. The game also made the leap to iOS in 2024, but you needed a device with an A17 chip or higher, and it only sold around 2,000 copies in its first month.
The Switch 2 edition of Resident Evil 7 is sure to change that. This port comes with all of the game's DLC, including both Banned Footage volumes, Not A Hero, and my personal favorite, a bunch of supply drops from Zoe. You can also experience the Madhouse difficulty from the very beginning (if you're up for it), and it all runs natively on the Switch 2 without the need for an internet connection.
The game looks fantastic, both docked and in handheld, and is as smooth as butter. The grotesque interiors of the Baker Estate are gag-worthy, and the close-quarters first-person perspective is especially effective in handheld, amplifying the fear to a new level. Everything about the story and its presentation is as terrifying as I expected, and I've had to hand the controller to my partner a couple of times as I needed a break from the tension - a sign of a great horror game.
I only have two real issues with Resident Evil 7. The hair texture for characters like Mia and Marguerite isn't great, often poking up at weird angles and looking sparse, especially compared to the drastic improvements you can see in Resident Evil 9. However, I know from experience that this isn't a Switch 2 issue, and is just a reminder that this game came out nearly a decade ago and runs on an older version of the RE Engine. My other complaint is the lack of button remapping, but again, this is an issue in all ports of the game. If Capcom plans to port more of its games to the Switch 2, I'd love to see this feature added, especially as using L3 to sprint with JoyCon 2 joysticks isn't as comfortable as it might be with a DualShock controller, for example.
Overall, thanks to the lighter form factor of the Nintendo Switch 2 compared to the Steam Deck or other handheld consoles on the market, this port is the optimal way to play Resident Evil 7 on the go. I still think it's one of the best Resident Evil games in the series, with an admirable dedication to scaring the pants off anyone who dares play it, but it was my first exposure to the series, so I might be a tad biased.
If you can't get enough of Capcom's iconic horror game series, check out our Resident Evil Requiem Switch 2 review and Resident Evil Village Switch 2 review to see how the other ports fare. Or, read up on the lore of the series in our Resident Evil in order guide.