Sand Land

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 369 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Sand Land Game Cover
Sand Land manages the tough task of translating an enjoyable story without overdoing the open-world mechanics in the process. It’s rough in places but is a respectful adaptation of Toriyama’s work and a pleasant experience throughout.
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"SAND LAND" is a deluxe edition action-RPG set in a desert world suffering from water shortage, based on the manga by Akira Toriyama. Play as Fiend Prince Beelzebub, leading a team of misfits on a quest to find the Legendary Spring. Overcome various dangers and challenges, using tactics and imagination to navigate through this unique desert world.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 369 reviews
story82 positive mentions
optimization11 negative mentions
  • The game features a charming story and characters that expand on the original manga, providing a delightful experience for fans.
  • The vehicular combat and customization options are engaging and fun, allowing players to experiment with different builds and strategies.
  • The art style is visually stunning, capturing the essence of Akira Toriyama's work and creating a vibrant world to explore.
  • The dialogue can be repetitive and intrusive, often interrupting gameplay with unnecessary commentary from characters.
  • Some gameplay mechanics, such as stealth sections, feel poorly implemented and can disrupt the flow of the game.
  • The exploration can feel limited due to reused assets and a lack of meaningful rewards for side quests.
  • story236 mentions

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its charm, humor, and character development, while others criticize its repetitive quest structure and pacing issues. Although the main narrative is engaging and well-presented, some feel it suffers from predictability and a lack of depth, particularly in side quests. Overall, fans of Akira Toriyama's work may find the story enjoyable, but it may not resonate with everyone due to its simplicity and execution.

    • “Fantastic story, wonderfully realized and written characters, a plot that just keeps expanding further and further across sandland and beyond.”
    • “The story is incredibly funny, comedy is very much the main focus just like with most Akira Toriyama stories.”
    • “Sand Land does an impressive job of creating a vibrant open-world experience filled with diverse characters, environments, enemies, and customizations all wrapped in a captivating well-written story, making it one of the most outstanding anime games that I have ever played.”
    • “The developer ruined its own story delivery by having a.”
    • “This whole sequence of events was so off-putting yet asinine it just about killed any interest I had in seeing the story through to the conclusion.”
    • “The story sucks.”
  • gameplay71 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it enjoyable and fun, particularly praising the vehicle mechanics and customization options. However, some criticize it for being repetitive, simplistic, and lacking depth in certain areas, such as combat and exploration. Overall, while the core gameplay loop is satisfying for many, there are notable weaknesses that may deter some players.

    • “I'm finding the core gameplay loop really satisfying.”
    • “The vehicle building and combat are advanced enough to give the feeling of really customizing your own tank, but simple enough that someone unfamiliar with tanks can still grasp the mechanics pretty well.”
    • “The gameplay is smooth and enjoyable and the story motivates me to keep going.”
    • “I wanted to like it, but both the gameplay and story are weak.”
    • “The style is really cool, but the gameplay is terribly dull and repetitive.”
    • “Gameplay can get a bit dull, and the game has a lot of missed opportunities for rewarding exploration and what feels like cut content/empty areas/unexplored systems that don't really go anywhere.”
  • graphics58 mentions

    The game's graphics have received widespread acclaim for their unique art style, which effectively captures Akira Toriyama's signature aesthetic and the essence of the original manga. Players appreciate the vibrant, cartoon-like visuals and the smooth performance, with many noting the successful blend of cel-shading and realistic environmental details. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's charm and immersive experience, making it a standout in its genre.

    • “Beautiful art style capturing the original manga's design down to an exact science.”
    • “The game's art style is fantastic and really captures Toriyama's vibe and energy very well.”
    • “Much respect and care has been given to preserve Akira Toriyama's signature art style.”
    • “All in all, this just feels like forcing yourself to walk in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot with a much tackier, dumbed-down Mad Max kind of aesthetic.”
    • “The artwork seems to be a little different, but I don't know if it is because of the models or cell shading or what; it just seems a bit off.”
    • “While running sand land on max settings at 2560 x 1440, the game ran buttery smooth the entire time with very few minor graphical or performance issues to report.”
  • optimization27 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant stuttering issues, particularly during asset loading and combat sequences. While some users experienced smooth performance on high settings, others noted that the stuttering detracted from gameplay, indicating a need for patches to address these performance inconsistencies. Overall, while there are moments of solid performance, the frequent stuttering remains a major concern for many players.

    • “While running Sand Land on max settings at 2560 x 1440, the game ran buttery smooth the entire time with very few minor graphical or performance issues to report.”
    • “I'm really impressed by the smooth graphics, highly optimized, very easy vehicular and manual combat controls.”
    • “Performance is solid, haven't had a single frame drop, the vehicle combat is a blast, the writing is jovial but not to the point of being plain cheesy, the characters are fun and their interactions are enjoyable even if they do tend to talk often.”
    • “This game needs a lot of work...stuttering issues, bad save/load points, looooooooong drawn out unnecessary dialogue,...no thanks...refunded.”
    • “#1: stuttering - this is the worst stuttering I've seen in a game.”
    • “The stuttering seems to almost exclusively happen at moments when you need to dodge something, preventing you from being able to do so.”
  • music24 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its captivating and atmospheric qualities that enhance the gameplay experience. However, some players find it repetitive and lacking in variety, noting that certain tracks do not leave a lasting impression. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated for its beauty and emotional impact, it is also critiqued for its monotony and limited presence during exploration.

    • “Amazing game, good story, good characters, good gameplay and nice music.”
    • “The music is also stellar.”
    • “Beautiful world, incredible music, and everything else I had hoped for in spades!”
    • “While the music in the game is captivating and fits every situation perfectly, harmoniously blending in levels of nostalgia for fans of Toriyama’s works, the general audio is pretty repetitive and monotonous for the most part, recycling most of the sounds for the entire game.”
    • “The music is unremarkable.”
    • “I would have loved a more Japanese-inspired trumpet and violin ensemble like the original Dragon Ball score; the music in Sand Lands is serviceable, but nothing will stay with you after playing.”
  • humor17 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its lighthearted and whimsical nature, reflecting Akira Toriyama's signature style. Players appreciate the comedic writing, likable characters, and amusing voice lines, which contribute to a fun and relaxing experience. The blend of childish humor with engaging gameplay elements makes it an enjoyable escape, especially for fans of Toriyama's work.

    • “Such a funny and chill game with a nice and warm storyline.”
    • “Game play is solid in this wacky & hilarious world.”
    • “The story is incredibly funny; comedy is very much the main focus, just like with most Akira Toriyama stories.”
  • grinding16 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and time-consuming, with players feeling compelled to farm materials and experience points to progress. Many reviewers noted that while the game offers a large world to explore, the repetitive tasks and dialogue detract from the overall enjoyment, making the experience feel laborious rather than rewarding. Additionally, the necessity to upgrade vehicles and manage resources often leads to frustration, as players find themselves material-starved and bogged down by monotonous gameplay elements.

    • “I didn't 100% the game because it's another 40+ hours, and honestly, while the game is fun, the achievements are a bit too tedious.”
    • “I have a very high tolerance for the open world genre, but this is easily one of the most tedious and least interesting games I've played in recent memory.”
    • “To go with the material grind and upgrading vehicles, I constantly felt material starved to the point where I was having to go out and farm enemies for materials to upgrade stuff. At the end of the day, I really only kept 3 vehicles updated, and the rest more or less sat due to my personal impatience with farming materials.”
  • stability8 mentions

    The game generally runs well on the Steam Deck, achieving around 40-50 fps, but users report significant stability issues at specific points, particularly at the dam. Troubleshooting methods, such as pre-caching, have provided some improvement, but overall, the presence of bugs and inconsistent performance, especially in certain gameplay sections, detracts from the experience. Many players find the game's stability unsatisfactory for its price.

    • “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
    • “I played through most of it on Steam Deck and it runs great there, most of the time hitting 40 fps with some dips to 30 fps (on medium/high settings).”
    • “Game runs great on Steam Deck, around 50 fps.”
    • “$60 for something this buggy, I cannot recommend.”
    • “There are multiple side-scrolling, stealth, and platforming sections that are, at best, buggy and, at worst, half-assed implementations.”
    • “Motorcycles and buggies cannot make the jumps you're intended to make with them; they fall short.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game resonates deeply with players, evoking a mix of joy and sadness through its wholesome narrative and likable characters. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to provide comfort during tough times, with a soundtrack that enhances the emotional experience, leading to moments of genuine tears. The connection to the late Toriyama adds a poignant layer, making the game feel like a heartfelt tribute while still standing out as a unique and enjoyable experience.

    • “That wholesome, beautiful kind of ending that gives you pure joy and sadness all wrapped up into a warm fuzzy blanket.”
    • “Super fun, amazing soundtrack, and made me cry more than once.”
    • “All in all, even if there wasn't the obvious emotional connection of this being one of the last projects Toriyama worked on, I'd be giving this a big thumbs up. It is fitting that one of the last things we'll see with his name on it is a genuine breath of fresh air in the genre and a unique and entertaining experience.”
  • character development5 mentions

    The character development in the game is highly praised, particularly for its charming designs and the distinctive style of Akira Toriyama, which extends even to the vehicles. Reviewers appreciate the humor and exploration elements, noting that the overall character and art design contribute significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “The late Akira Toriyama's character designs are excellent, and even the vehicles have a nice amount of character baked into them.”
    • “Sense of humor, exploration, character design, all top-notch as expected for a game based on manga by Akira Toriyama (RIP).”
    • “I love Toriyama's character design and vehicle design, but that's all that drew me to this game.”
    • “The art style, character design, vehicle design, lore, and characters are all great so far.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charming visuals and excellent integration of manga-inspired graphics, creating an immersive world. While the music enhances the experience when present, it often leans towards a more subdued tone, contributing to the overall ambiance. Players appreciate the balance between aesthetic appeal and innovative gameplay.

    • “The game is really pretty, it runs really well, and the atmosphere is really nice.”
    • “Charming atmosphere, great world, innovative gameplay.”
    • “First of all, the graphics have an excellent balance of the atmosphere of the manga and its drawing style.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers high replayability for some players due to its stylish design, engaging story, and satisfying gameplay, while others find it lacks replay value and consider it a one-time experience.

    • “Dripping with style, tons of replayability, excellent story, satisfying gameplay.”
    • “I cannot see much replay value; it's very much a one-and-done experience for me.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
    • “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying feel pointless.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization of the game is perceived positively, with players feeling that it reflects a genuine investment from developers, reminiscent of the heartfelt marketing and demos from earlier gaming eras.

    • “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it seems designed to squeeze every last penny from players rather than enhance the gaming experience.”
    • “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
    • “The constant push for in-game purchases detracts from the overall enjoyment, turning what could be a fun experience into a frustrating grind.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

77% average critic score

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Play time

40hMedian play time
40hAverage play time
40-40hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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