Amin Abbas

DUBAI: Sand Land is a game based on a Japanese manga series created by the late veteran manga author Akira Toriyama, known for his Dragon Ball series. It was one of the last projects that he was involved in before passing away in March. 

The game’s events occur in a world suffering from a lack of water due to a natural disaster and war, where Beelzebub, Rao, Ann, and Thief embark on a journey through the desert to locate a legendary spring while battling against dangerous monsters and the army of a malevolent king.

While the game mostly follows Toriyama’s manga, it also includes original plot lines and characters that were showcased in the series’ recent episodes. The game expands on many of the scenes from the show, making it a fun experience from the player’s perspective. 

Sand Land’s expansive world and intricate vehicle customization system offer an unparalleled sense of adventure and strategic depth. Every environment, city, and dungeon in the game is enormous and gives the players a huge space to explore. It is filled with various activities, from city-building to intricate vehicle customization, providing a rich playground for players.

The combat system in the game is being developed in two main ways. The first is ordinary melee combat, which utilizes skills that can be upgraded over time. Beelzebub and his team fight against ground troops quite often. It’s fun to use different attacks and skills against enemies as well as to see the character’s fluid movements and action.

The second and spotlight way of the game is the vehicular combat. The first main vehicle that players will unlock is the royal army tank, which is extremely fun to use. It has a main machine gun for smaller enemies and a rocket turret for fighting against other vehicles.

The video game does a great job of slowly introducing the vehicles. This includes telling players about how to approach combat, using the environment to hide from enemies and strategically knowing when to reload. 

Other vehicles are unlocked as the story progresses and are equally fun to use. It helps that each vehicle can be upgraded with weapon and utility parts found out in the field. It’s not the most in-depth upgrade system, but the streamlined and easy-to-understand approach makes it simple for users to pick up. It also allows for a variety of combat build options, helping players approach the story in their own way.

One of the game’s greatest strengths is a tiny home base that players get access to called Spino. They can convince side characters to move by completing their tasks, which allows the area to transform into a heavenly oasis.

There are a wide variety of side characters that players meet along the way, which adds depth to the story. Some characters may start off as enemies, but circumstances cause them to work side-by-side with Beelzebub and the crew, while others are just evil and need to be stopped. These characters also help Beelzebub’s quest more when players know who he is fighting for. 

The beautiful visuals and character’s designs in the game stay true to the late Toriyama’s style, complemented by an immersive soundtrack that enhances the adventure.

Overall, Sand Land is a gorgeous and heartfelt game that brings together unlikely allies on an epic quest. It is fun to play, beautiful to look at, and an unforgettable journey with hours of exploration and an exciting experience for everyone to enjoy.

The video game can be played on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S. It is available for purchase on Steam.