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SAND LAND is the video game adaptation of the manga and animations of the same name by the late Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball. The manga series was serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine in 2000 and ran for 14 chapters, later compiled into a Tankobon in the same year.
Despite primarily following the manga’s story, the game also contains new, never before seen material which further expands on the story and stands as some of the last original material he worked on before his passing. In this review, we’ll see how this game translates his vision into the interactive medium.
Plot
The story follows an unlikely quartet of heroes from Sand Land, an arid land that has lost its primary water supply after years of war and natural disasters. We play as the main character – fiend prince Beelzebub, as he embarks on a journey with his companions in search of the Legendary Spring. However, finding a new water source is not easy; the journey is fraught with difficulties and dangers
As the story of the game mostly follows the plot of the original stories, long time fans may find it repetitive. However, the game does make certain changes to the plot such as introducing Ann, a character who appears later in the anime, right from the start of the game. The game also adds a new “Forest Land” arc that was not present in the original work, so the plot does get a breath of fresh air in the middle stages.
Of course, players who have never experienced the story before will still find it just as engaging as reading the manga or watching the animations, since almost everything about the plot is kept intact.
The World of Sand Land
Like a typical ARPG, SAND LAND features a main story with various side quests along the way. By completing quests from both demons and humans, and increasing the population of settlers in Spino Town to develop the stronghold, you can acquire new vehicle blueprints as well as develop or strengthen machine components.
The map is an open world where we can drive vehicles or roam around on Raptors. Across the overworld, wild animals or enemies can be defeated, dropping materials, experience, items, and more. Other locations or events of interest can show up throughout your journey such as NPCs in need of rescue and hidden chests containing materials, weapons, accessories, and other items. These events and locations are seemingly random, but hits the sweet spot between ‘too frequent’ and ‘waiting too long’.
Combat
The game’s combat can generally be divided into two types: vehicle combat and hand-to-hand combat. Vehicle combat is the more predominant method, offering a convenient and swift approach to battles. However, it requires a little more planning around the strengths and weaknesses of each ride.
Tanks are a solid combat base and can handle most enemies in most environments, especially if their weapon loadouts are upgraded and you have a solid support skill loadout. Their sweet spot is mid to long range battles. However, they are slow which means smaller, nimble enemies may take more time to defeat resulting in potentially considerable damage to your vehicle especially if they get close.
Cars are more agile and inflict less damage compared to tanks, but their maneuverability allows them to excel in short-range battles against fast enemies. Some variations will also grant extra mobility options such as the hover variations which let you move over bodies of water and sand pockets without losing much speed.
Motorcycles and their variants are the fastest vehicles in the game. In exchange, they can’t dole out or take as much punishment as other vehicles and thus best suited for exploration. As a side bonus, their high speeds make jumping gaps a breeze.
The exosuit style Bots feature jumping and combat variations and sit somewhere in between the armor and firepower of Tanks and Cars and the speed of Motorcycles. They also feature unique abilities such as jumping to let you reach new areas or lifting which can open up new paths.
Hand-to-hand combat remains as the least used combat method, but is still useful in the occasional situation you find yourself without any nearby vehicles. Mastering the art of evasion will be pivotal for triumph in close-quarters combat. As previously mentioned, strategic investments in skills allow you to call upon support from your party when needed. The game offers the flexibility to swap out skills between battles, ensuring your loadout remains adaptable across various scenarios.
The vehicles and the combat experience are certainly the highlight of the game, especially since we can switch between multiple modes of transportation, allowing us to experience different combat styles. The vehicle controls are also easy to use and highly responsive, which kept us coming back to the dunes.
Upgrade System
Leveling Beelzebub is as straightforward as choosing the abilities that align with your playstyle. Just know that the bottom row of his skill grid features enhancements for his special attacks which can come in handy.
On the other hand, leveling the rest of the party gives you much more flexibility to set things up to support very different play styles based on which party member you invest in at the start of the game.
If you favor a more aggressive combat-centric style of play, you’ll want to invest in Rao’s skills early on. He has four active skills that allow him to actively engage enemies. In addition, Rao’s active skill temporarily enhances the attack power of Beelzebub’s vehicle. His passive skills buff his active skills and also allow him to intercept nearby enemies during hand-to-hand combat.
Thief’s skills are more focused around loot and material gathering, which makes resource collecting for vehicle upgrades faster. His passive skills are where he shines as they’ll increase the currency, item quality and amount of drops from enemies which is incredibly useful throughout the entire game.
Ann, who you’ll get access to in the latter part of the adventure, have skills revolve around support, specifically for vehicles. Her four active skills provide significant enhancements to Beelzebub’s active vehicle which can turn the tide in tight situations. Her passive skills improve health recovery for the party and vehicle ability cooldowns which can be game changing during boss fights.
Vehicle upgrade priorities will change as your fleet grows. Generally, you’ll always want to have a beefy tank for boss fights, a motorcycle for exploration, a jump bot for reaching high places, a battle bot to move containers, and a hover car to cross certain terrain types. Upgrades will initially require materials and currency (which is why investing in Thief’s skills can be extremely useful) but as you get deeper into the game you will start to need certain leveled up weapons as crafting or upgrade components which you will want to keep a close eye on. Thankfully, the game does give you tips of where certain materials can be found, which saves the chore of brute forcing every possible option.
Town upgrades are worth investing in early on to get a solid foundation you can build off later in the game. The primary source of town upgrades will be from NPCs who you’ve convinced to move in and, in many cases, set up shop. Both the quests to get the NPCs in town and their shops will be invaluable resources to get materials or weapons you need for vehicle upgrades. Once shops are established in town, be sure to check back as the owners will eventually have some requests that, once fulfilled, will upgrade their stock with useful materials or items.
Verdict
Honestly, I feel that thanks to this game, I’ve become a master of armored corps since I spent more time on vehicles than on land. It just shows how crucial the vehicle element is in this game.
Unlocking each new vehicle provides a completely new experience, greatly increasing the sense of freshness. Combine that with the need to diversify your fleet for different tasks, and the result is a fun experience that incentivizes constant vehicle switching.
Players familiar with the original work, movies, or animations may find the early stages a bit dull, as the plot follows a similar trajectory and is further padded by tutorials. Players who haven’t seen the original work or the movie won’t encounter this issue and can enjoy the game as if watching an anime, exploring the world while enjoying the story.
However, outside of the vehicles, it follows a very standard ARPG format, presenting a rather conventional experience which lacks anything innovative, but still presents a solid story as expected from Toriyama.
Overall, the variety of vehicles and all the elements surrounding it are than enough to warrant playing the game, with the world of SAND LAND as a nice bonus for newcomers and fans alike. The entire game oozes with the signature flavor of Akira Toriyama’s art style and writing, and he certainly would not be disappointed by the quality of this adaptation.
SAND LAND is slated to release on 26 April 2024 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
The game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5. Review code provided by Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia.
The Review
SAND LAND
PROS
- Gripping storyline, akin to watching an anime
- Added plot elements not found in the original work or movies
- Various vehicles available for gameplay, with the option for customization
- Abundance of main and side quests, offering numerous gameplay elements
- Excellent combat experience, especially when switching between various modes of transportation to experience different combat styles
CONS
- For players familiar with the original work, the early stages may feel a bit dull (won't affect those new to the series)
- Apart from the combat, other aspects are relatively conservative, lacking significant breakthroughs
