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Sand Land (video game)

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Sand Land
Developer(s)ILCA
Publisher(s)Bandai Namco Entertainment
Producer(s)Keishu Minami
EngineUnreal Engine 5[1]
Platform(s)
Release
  • JP: April 25, 2024
  • WW: April 26, 2024
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Sand Land is an action role-playing video game developed by ILCA and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game is based on Sand Land, a Japanese manga series created by Akira Toriyama in 2000. It is one of the last projects to have any involvement by Toriyama before his death on March 1, 2024.[2] It was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S in April 2024. Upon release, it received mixed reviews from critics, though its fidelity to the style of original author Akira Toriyama and vehicle gameplay were praised.

Gameplay

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Based on Sand Land, the game follows the story of Beelzebub, Rao, Ann and Thief as they embark on a journey through the desert to locate a Legendary Spring while battling against dangerous monsters and the army of a malevolent king.[3] Beelzebub is the game's main playable character, and the game is played from a third-person perspective. There are two modes of melee attack; light attacks are fast but weak, and heavy attacks are slow but strong. Players can also dodge opponent's attacks mid-air or sideways.[4] As players progress in the game, they will unlock new skills and special abilities, which enhance Beelzebub's combat capabilities. Drinking water in the game increases Beelzebub's health. Players can also unlock new skills for Beelzebub's companions, who will also assist the player during combat.[5]

The game features a variety of vehicles that can be used for transversal. For instance, the hovercar allows players to float over water and move in wetlands and rough terrain quickly. They can also be used during combat scenarios, especially when fighting against larger enemies.[6] Beelzebub can carry up to five vehicle capsules at a given time. The vehicles can be customized extensively with new engine parts and weapons.[7] They can also be upgraded to boost their durability in combat. Beelzebub and his crew will establish their basecamp in the city of Spino. Players can customize their characters' personal living quarters extensively with furniture and various decorative items.[8] As players progress in the game and completes side objectives, they will meet other non-playable characters, some of which may stay in Spino, granting players the opportunities to buy rare components or services. There are also other side activities in the game, including racing and bounty hunting, and competing in battle arenas against other tough enemies.[5]

Development and release

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Sand Land was developed by ILCA and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game is based on Sand Land, a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama in 2000. According to Bandai Namco, the project was supervised by both Shueisha and Toriyama himself, and players do not need to be familiar with the manga to understand the story of the game.[9][10] The game features "Forest Land", a new locale that Toriyama created for the 2024 original net animation adaptation of Sand Land.[11]

In December 2022, Bandai Namco announced that they had initiated the "Sand Land Project" which will turn Sand Land into a multimedia intellectual property, and an animated film adaptation was announced.[12] The video game project was officially revealed in June 2023.[13] A playable demo for the game was released on March 18, 2024.[14] It was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on April 25, 2024, in Japan, and the following day worldwide.[15][16]

Reception

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Sand Land received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[17][18][19]

References

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  1. ^ Figueroa, Sergio (June 8, 2023). "Toriyama's Sandland moves in full swing in Unreal Engine 5". Gamereactor. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  2. ^ Majumdar, Ripan (March 8, 2024). "Akira Toriyama's Shocking and Tragic Death Has Led to a Sudden Interest in His Upcoming Game Sand Land". The Sports Rush. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  3. ^ Kennedy, Victoria (January 12, 2024). "Sand Land, the video game adaptation of Akira Toriyama's manga, gets April release date". Eurogamer. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  4. ^ Feit, Diamond (September 24, 2023). "Sand Land's Wasteland Needs Work – TGS 2023". IGN. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Romano, Sal (February 19, 2024). "SAND LAND 'Gameplay Overview' trailer". Gematsu. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  6. ^ Kim, Matt (February 22, 2024). "Sand Land Exclusive Hands-On: We're Wowed by Akira Toriyama's Playable Manga – IGN FanFest". IGN. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  7. ^ Wagner, Ryan (January 11, 2024). "Sand Land launches April 26 – new vehicular gameplay details revealed". PlayStation Blog. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  8. ^ Gerblick, Jordan (March 21, 2024). "I was already on board with Sand Land's open world and gorgeous Dragon Ball-style art, and that was before I knew the action-RPG also has anime Animal Crossing and Mad Max Kart". GamesRadar. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  9. ^ Meyer, Maxine (September 8, 2023). "Interview with SAND LAND Producer at Gamescom" (Interview). Bandai Namco Entertainment. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  10. ^ Liu, Stephanie (June 22, 2023). "Sand Land Game Will Include Original Content". Siliconera. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  11. ^ 「SAND LAND」鳥山明が20年の時を経て"その先"を考案、アニメは3月20日から [(SAND LAND) Akira Toriyama devises 'beyond' after 20 years, anime will start from March 20th]. Natalie (in Japanese). March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  12. ^ Webster, Andrew (December 20, 2022). "Akira Toriyama's Sand Land will be Bandai Namco's next big multimedia project". The Verge. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  13. ^ Miller, Matt (June 8, 2023). "Akira Toriyama's Sand Land Game Announced". Game Informer. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  14. ^ Wales, Matt (March 18, 2024). "Sand Land, the game adaptation of Akira Toriyama's manga, now has a demo". Eurogamer. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  15. ^ Williams, Harley (January 11, 2024). "Dragon Ball Creator's Sand Land Game Gets Release Date In New Trailer". GameSpot. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  16. ^ Romano, Sal (January 11, 2024). "SAND LAND launches April 25 in Japan, April 26 worldwide". Gematsu. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  17. ^ a b "SAND LAND PC Critic Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  18. ^ a b "SAND LAND PlayStation 5 Critic Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  19. ^ a b "SAND LAND Xbox Series X Critic Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  20. ^ Parker, Lewis (April 29, 2024). "Sand Land review - a fitting tribute to a wonderful author". Eurogamer. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  21. ^ Higham, Michael (April 24, 2024). "Sand Land Review". IGN. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  22. ^ Brunskill, Kerry (April 24, 2024). "Sand Land review". PC Gamer. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
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