**Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village Now on Switch 2: A Thorough Review**
In 2017, Capcom revitalized the survival horror genre with the launch of *Resident Evil 7: Biohazard*. This was succeeded by its direct follow-up, *Resident Evil Village*, in 2021. Both titles have recently made their debut on the Nintendo Switch 2, sparking curiosity about their performance on this hybrid console, which is renowned for its graphical capabilities. Thankfully, both games are exceptionally ported, providing a great experience for both newcomers and longtime fans of the franchise.
**From Cloud to Native Porting**
Initially, *Resident Evil 7* and *Village* were only accessible on the Nintendo Switch through a cloud streaming service. This approach, while workable for some gamers with strong internet access, often resulted in inconsistent gameplay experiences. Thankfully, Capcom has made notable improvements by delivering native ports for both games on Switch 2, leading to a significantly enhanced gaming experience.
**Resident Evil 7: Biohazard – The Premier Port**
Beginning with *Resident Evil 7: Biohazard*, this title significantly deviates from the franchise’s conventional gameplay elements, embracing a first-person viewpoint and a darker storyline. The Switch 2 port excels in many aspects, providing an almost impeccable performance. The visuals are crisp, showcasing stunning lighting and texturing, all while sustaining a steady 60 frames per second (FPS) in both docked and handheld modes.
Gamers frequently find themselves engrossed in the immersive environment of *RE7*, with such robust performance that one might easily forget they are playing on a Nintendo console. In comparison, *Resident Evil 7* on Switch 2 holds up remarkably well against other AAA titles like *Star Wars Outlaws* and *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, which, despite being solid ports, display certain compromises when juxtaposed with their PlayStation 5 versions.
**Resident Evil Village – A Close Contender?**
*Resident Evil Village*, which builds on the foundation established by its forerunner, offers a visually enhanced experience with better textures and improved lighting effects. However, this ambitious scope becomes a challenge for the Switch 2, resulting in occasional frame rate drops, especially during high-intensity action sequences. For example, players may detect stuttering during frantic encounters involving werewolves and combat within the titular village.
Although the game remains playable, its performance falls short compared to *RE7*, with issues particularly evident in third-person mode, which seems ill-suited for a title crafted around a first-person perspective. Despite these limitations, *Village* still provides a respectable gaming experience overall.
**Performance Options: An Overlooked Opportunity**
A notable factor is the lack of performance and quality mode settings for both ports. Fans of *Resident Evil 7* might find this acceptable due to its impressive execution; nonetheless, players may argue that a toggle option for *Village* could improve the overall experience. Options like a 40FPS mode for 120Hz displays could potentially ease some performance concerns.
**Conclusion**
The release of both *Resident Evil 7: Biohazard* and *Resident Evil Village* on Switch 2 represents a considerable advancement over their cloud editions and solidifies their status as must-have games for the platform. While *RE7* establishes a high standard with its remarkable performance, *Village* comes close despite facing some technical challenges. Both games are certainly worth exploring, redeeming the letdown of their initial cloud versions and setting the stage for future *Resident Evil* ports on the Switch 2. Fans can anticipate the upcoming *Resident Evil Requiem*, hoping that it will further advance the franchise on Nintendo’s latest system.
