Sand Land Review — Darude Demon Boy

Akira Toriyama is one of this generation’s most prolific artists and arguably one of the most prolific of all time. His works touched millions and influenced prominent creators who now work on their own popular and obscure works. He was my earliest introduction to comics (more specifically manga), which got me interested in storytelling and was the catalyst for me drawing for the first time in grade school. Naturally, when I heard that there was an upcoming video game based on one of his latest works, and one that may very well have been the last thing Toriyama had the chance to work on, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

Sand Land is a video game adaption of the Toriyama manga by the same name. It follows the demon prince Beelzebub and his companions as they search for a spring of eternal water hidden deep in a dry, violent post-apocalyptic desert. Along the way, players face off against the Royal Army, a well-organized band of thugs, stealing tanks, mechs, and other vehicles to make the trip a little easier and a lot more violent.

Fans of the manga are probably going to ask, above all else, how true the game is to the source material. I have limited knowledge of Sand Land (something I hope to change soon), but I can tell you there are small changes here and there.

Notably, the game feels a bit less dark than the source material. Beelzebub is a little less mean; encounters are a little less dramatic, and overall, the post-apocalyptic wasteland feels a little less unforgiving while still in a terrible state.

What definitely isn’t missing is a noticeable Toriyama-ness to the world. Sand Land looks and feels remarkably like a child of the late artist who created it, with Akira Toriyama’s iconic character, vehicle, and weapon designs littered generously throughout. I mean, to quote from something the late great artist wrote in passing about the game two months before his unfortunate passing:

“First of all, the graphics have an excellent balance of the atmosphere of the manga and its drawing style. The representation looks great. The game will surely provide you an exciting experience with a genuine sense of design and attention to detail, from the many new vehicle designs, various customizations, as well as the background design!“

It’s hard to disagree with the original artist when they say the game feels like the world they designed, and I certainly find myself agreeing. Sand Land’s attention to detail and ability to recreate the world of the manga goes a very long way toward making an immersive experience.

Sand Land sees you playing through a (somewhat loosely) adapted version of the manga’s story by completing side quests, gathering resources, and engaging in combat both in and out of various armored vehicles. The vehicular combat is definitely where the game shines. As exciting as punching through baddies as Beelzebub is, it doesn’t compare to the feeling of upgrading your own tanks, mechs, or motorcycles and then throwing them into battle across the scorching wastes of Sand Land.

The vehicular upgrade aspect is what really drew me to Sand Land as a game in the first place. By battling enemies and exploring, you will find various parts to throw onto your tanks, mechs, and motorcycles that dramatically change the stats and appearance of the vehicles. Each one is fully modular, adding a deep sense of personalization to each vehicle you use. Thankfully, the game never forces you to stick to a favorite either, as you can easily swap between your vehicles using a famous Toriyama favorite, Capsules that pack your massive mech into your back pocket.

Overall, I love Sand Land. There are, however, a few aspects of the game I’m not so fond of, including a genre-specific issue I face in every JRPG I play.

I’m not sure what it is about JRPGs, but they all have one flaring problem that prevents me from fully enjoying them: long, lengthy, intrusive tutorials. In Sand Land, as in other games, you can expect at least your first hour or two to be the game teaching you how to play, with plenty of intrusive popups explaining basic mechanics that you otherwise could have learned through the gameplay itself.

You can also count on long, visually uninteresting stretches of dialogue. Sand Land gets around this a tad by having wonderfully expressive characters, thanks to Akira Toriyama’s art and design, but still doesn’t fully escape the long bouts where characters stand still and exchange dialogue, the bane of every ADD player’s existence.

These scenes are balanced by incredibly cinematic shots that feel like they were taken straight from the manga and the exciting moments accompanying them.

The stealth segments were the only part of the game I didn’t enjoy. These parts take away from the action and have you sneak around an area I felt I could have very easily punched my way through. Thankfully, again, the game’s wonderful art style helps these segments a bit by creating visually interesting obstacles and platforming segments to counteract the needless stealth.

Even with my mild critiques, Sand Land is a great game, packed with all the style, soul, and creativity you’d expect from its creator. The late Akira Toriyama will forever be missed, and while we also have his vast catalog of creations to pull from, Sand Land is a great way to remember this creator and serves as a good appreciation of his memory.

Try Hard Guides received a PC review code for this game. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles in the Game Reviews section of our website! Sand Land is available on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox.