Although we aren’t getting a new Dragon Ball game this year, we got Sand Land to quench our Akira Toriyama thirst. Sand Land is the upcoming game adaptation of the manga, created by Toriyama, also known for his Dragon Ball manga. The moment you see Sand Land, you’ll see the iconic design and feel right at home as a manga fan. Unlike most Dragon Ball games, however, Sand Land offers an immersive open-world adventure filled with unique quests.
An action-packed introduction
I started the demo with an action-packed scene where I had to avoid being hit by a giant sand monster that was chasing me. It immediately sets the tone and takes you into a fantasy world filled with sand and monsters. Luckily, I was able to avoid the monster thanks to some great driving but I wanted to see and play more after that encounter.
The car chasing scene was a scripted event but the rest of the demo showcased the vast open world which was filled with characters to talk with and quests to complete. You can travel the world on foot but driving a vehicle is the better option. The manga is known for its unique vehicles and the game isn’t any different of course. You can create powerful tanks by combining the right tools and upgrading several aspects when needed. Besides the open-world adventure, this is perhaps the biggest gameplay mechanic. Creating custom vehicles and developing your desert town to attract more people will keep you entertained for countless hours without a doubt.
Real time combat
Exploring and building is fun but it’s not without danger. The Sand Land isn’t a safe or peaceful place. I ran into monsters and rivals during my session and what I like most about it is the real time combat. You see your enemies on the map, so there’s nothing random about it and once you’ve seen them, you can start attacking them with different types of attacks. It’s all very high-paced and resembled games such as Scarlet Nexus. Battling different monsters and learning their weaknesses isn’t something we haven’t seen before but Sand Land really does an excellent job in keeping you entertained.
It also helps that the world looks and sounds great and is perhaps even the best-looking manga game to date. A short demo session isn’t the best way to grasp the scale of the open world but it looks like it’s filled with quests and side-mission to dive right in.
Early conslusion:
Sand Land left a great first impression. Of course, it’s too soon to say if the game will be worth your time but it looks like it will have plenty of engaging content for sure. If you’re a manga/anime fan, this is one to put on your list for sure.
