Summary
Despite its posthumous release following this year’s passing of legendary manga artist Akira Toriyama,Sand Landis still one of the many games to receive praise from the creator for how it faithfully adapts his body of work.Sand Landis the game adaptation of one of Toriyama’s lesser-known works from later in his career and follows the same general story as the manga. Along with a new animated series on Hulu/Disney Plus and plans for a feature-length animated film based on the IP,Sand Landis a critical component of a multimedia push to bring the property to a wider audience, and its faithfulness to the show is one of its greatest assets.
Toriyama himself would oversee thedevelopment ofSand Landas a project supervisor, contributing to the process of converting his 2D drawings into three-dimensional character renders and providing guidance on critical elements of the design. He also served as a project supervisor on theSand Landanimated series, working closely with Bandai Namco to oversee all aspects of the multimedia “Sand LandProject” launched in 2022. That singular vision and focus toward theSand LandProject makes the game feel like an essential adaptation and interactive version of the new animated series.
Sand Land Sticks to the Show’s Script Where it Makes Sense
Outside some subtle deviations, theSand Landgame tells mostly the same story as the new animated series. Where it makes sense for the game to differentiate, it does so, fleshing out sections that add to its retelling of the same generalSand Landstoryin interactive media. While theSand Landshow might gloss over some parts of Beelzebub, Rao, and Thief’s travels through the desert wasteland, the game occasionally needs to zoom in the focus and follow the heroes as they explore the world, collect parts for vehicles, and otherwise engage in very “video gamey” elements that don’t need to show up in the context of the animated series.
That faithfulness to the show and its general plot makesSand Land’s pacingfeel definitively snappier than many other, similar titles. Even though the activities that players will be completing inSand Landare fairly standard for open-world games, the title’s emphasis on stringing players along using the humorous and heartfelt tale at the core of the manga and animated series incentivizes sticking to the critical path and taking detours only when necessary. The general structure of the world itself is designed in such a way as to give players plenty of opportunities for resource collection as they organically complete each main story mission, allowing the story to take center stage.
Sand Land’s Voice Actors and Performances Enhance the Feeling of Playing the Show
Risa Mei, John Lipow, and Owen Thomas each return to voice their respective roles from theSand Landanimated series – Beelzebub, Sheriff Rao, and Thief.
In a move that only serves to add to the immersion of playing the video game adaptation as if it were an interactive version of theSand Landanimated series, all the primary voice actors for the English dub of the show return to reprise their roles. Further, each of their performances are just as noteworthy as they are in the animated series, which quickly establishesSand Land’s presentation as being impressive even when stacked up against other games utilizing Akira Toriyama’s body of work.
Players will hear several conversations on a loop when exploringSand Land’s open world, but hearing them in the voices of the talented cast from the series' English dub softens the blow. Similarly, the game’s reliance on familiar open-world design can feel like a missed opportunity. Still, its production values and adherence to its source material makeSand Landsomething greater than a standard anime video game adaptation.
Sand Land
WHERE TO PLAY
Dive into a desert world where both humans and demons suffer from an extreme water shortage - SAND LAND. Meet the Fiend Prince Beelzebub, his chaperone Thief, and the fearless Sheriff Rao, and follow the team on an extraordinary adventure in search of the Legendary Spring hidden in the desert, and much more. The end is only the beginning, as beyond this arid ground lies a mysterious new realm to explore - Forest Land.This action-RPG is a nostalgic and heartwarming world created by Akira Toriyama, where you will become the main character, Beelzebub. Learn how to control his powers and lead your company of heroic misfits, exploring the legendary world of SAND LAND and the brand-new Forest Land. But beware of the many dangers that populate them: between bandits, fierce wildlife, and ruthless Army Generals, reaching the spring and saving the world won’t be easy!Use your tact and imagination to develop tanks and other vehicles that will help you navigate these vast resourceful lands, using a wide array of part combinations. Build up your base of operations into a thriving city, with the help of the people you meet along the way in this desert.
