Corebound Chronicles is our own take on the groundbreaking game that helped bring JRPGs to Western audiences and quickly became one of the most beloved and respected titles of the PlayStation era: Final Fantasy 7.
Like its inspiration, Corebound Chronicles explores themes of environmental collapse, corporate exploitation, and a world teetering on the edge of irreversible ruin. It also embraces many of the design elements players would expect from a tribute to Final Fantasy 7: a diverse party of heroes with unique combat styles, elemental affinities and status effects, deep character customization through the Core Bounding system, and powerful summon-guardians whose true nature remains as ambiguous and awe-inspiring as the gods of ancient myth.
Neo-Terra is a world that has sold its future.
Beneath its surface flows Magika, a pressurized energy source that existed in natural equilibrium for millennia. Two centuries of relentless industrial extraction have pushed the planet to its breaking point. Now, something buried deep beneath the world's crust has awakened, and it is fighting back: the Corebounds.
A group of heroes must journey across the dying world of Neo-Terra to decide whether humanity should continue to dominate the forces of nature now rising against it, or seek reconciliation before it is too late. Their choices will ultimately determine the fate of Nexumia, the great capital city that may not deserve to be saved.
During the campaign, the party leaves Nexumia and travels across the four great regions of Neo-Terra, visiting them in any order they choose. Overland travel is driven by generative tables tailored to each region's biome, danger level, and current Accord state (the balance between nature's will and humanity's desire to dominate it).
In every region, players explore dangerous zones, interact with local communities, uncover lost Corebound lore, and eventually confront the awakened Corebound that now rules the area. This confrontation serves as the climax of the regional expedition: a major boss encounter whose outcome permanently shapes the world.
When a Corebound is defeated, the character who delivers the final blow must make a choice:
- Subjugate: The Corebound is broken and bound. Its power is suppressed and brought under human control. The region becomes more exploitable, and Nexumia gains material benefits from its resources. The Accord shifts toward Dominion.
- Harmonize: The Corebound is reconciled with the region's ecological balance. Its power remains free, and the land begins to recover from centuries of exploitation. The Accord shifts toward Covenant, strengthening the bond between humanity and the natural world.
In terms of product and game design, Corebound Chronicles features an expanded set of MemoryCards: 64 instead of the 32 included in the other MemoryCore games. This larger card pool supports the Core Bounding System, the heart of the game's customization mechanics.
Each character enters play with a set of iconic equipment that defines their role: weapons, items, and signature gear that establish them as a melee or ranged fighter, spellcaster, support specialist, or versatile jack-of-all-trades. However, characters can perform Core Bounding, attuning themselves to different Cores—fragments of ancient Magika crystals that grant access to unique spells and abilities such as Poison, Confuse, Cure, and Multi-ATK. Thro ugh these powerful bonds, players can shape their character's skills and utility in battle, and even summon their own Corebound Guardian to fight alongside them.
Featuring a cover illustration by HouseQuay in the grand tradition of classic Final Fantasy artwork, the game showcases characters created by Francesco Mazziotta and transformed into vibrant low-poly heroes by Albert Buscio, who also brought the majestic Corebound summons to life.
Corebound Chronicles was the last of our Module Focus updates!
With that, you've now seen all six MemoryCore games. The campaign launches in just 4 days, so don't miss Monday's final pre-launch update, where we'll take a deep dive into reward tiers, add-ons, pricing, and everything you need to know before choosing your pledge.
Meanwhile, Le and Gabriel, the fantastic content creators behind Weird Place, have released a First Look video of MemoryCore!
Packed with '90s vibes and filmed in an incredibly nostalgic retro bedroom setup, it's the perfect way to get a closer look at the project and the atmosphere we're trying to capture.
