2021 is looking like a hell of a year for Xbox players, and much of that is down to the wide range of gaming experiences on the table. We Are The Caretakers is another game that will be dropping onto the system later this year, but this one is a little different in its ideology – for with every purchase, we’ll see 10% of the game’s revenues going to support the Wildlife Conservation Network.
We Are the Caretakers is a sci-fi turn-based tactical RPG set in an afrofuturist world. Arriving from developer Heart Shaped Games, it looks to bring an environmental epic mission to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One later in 2021, with launch on PC prior to that.
We Are the Caretakers will ask players to protect the Raun, a rhino-like species that is being targeted by poachers – both of the human and alien variety. You’ll therefore need to rally units of Caretakers onto real-time strategy maps with RPG turn-based combat in either the story-rich campaign or through the challenging procedurally generated Survival mode, strategically assembling them into squads based on the 20-plus job classes and more than 70 special abilities.
After defeating foes in battle, the Conductor, leader of the Caretakers and sworn protector of the land of Shadra, must then decide the fate of the poachers from a myriad of choices. You see, while sending them to Shadran judges may be the easy choice, rehabilitation and recruitment might be the only way to avoid the catastrophic consequences of extinction. It will be decisions like these which will benefit or wound the Conductor’s fragile reputation among the people and their willingness to help the Caretakers.
But here’s where things get better and Heart Shaped Games are pledging no less than 10% of their revenues from every copy of the game will go toward the Wildlife Conservation Network – and this starts with the sales of the Steam Early Access release on Earth Day, Thursday, April 22nd 2021. This is an organization which protects wildlife all around the world, with Heart Shaped Games’ contribution going toward the Rhino Recovery Fund, which focuses on improving the health of rhino populations while also benefiting local people.
There looks like much to love about We Are the Caretakers, and that rolls down to the rich soundtrack that is in place too, one that has been composed of epic orchestras, African instrument samples, and modern hip-hop beats. Art director Anthony Jones (former cinematics artist at Activision Blizzard) combined synthetic and organic elements for his interpretation of afrofuturism and the game’s cast of mostly Black characters. BAFTA and IGF-nominated narrative director Xalavier Nelson Jr. (Hypnospace Outlaw, SkateBIRD) helped create a story that mixes sci-fi with real-world conservation issues.
“We don’t just want to raise awareness of important issues with our game, we want to have a quantifiable impact,” said Scott Brodie, founder, Heart Shaped Games. “The ID@Xbox team have been tremendous partners in getting the word out there, and both entertaining and enlightening Xbox players later this year.”
If you’re looking to join forces with Heart Shaped Games, We Are The Caretakers version 1.0 releases on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC in full form later in 2021. Before that, the game enters Steam Early Access for Windows PC on Earth Day, Thursday, April 22nd for $19.99 with a 20% launch discount. Remember, 10% of that goes towards the Wildlife Conservation Network.
