Sand Land Reviews

Sand Land is ranked in the 56th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
7.5 / 10.0
Apr 26, 2024

Sand Land is a fun filled game that offers players a lot of different things. Easily the best part of the game is the vehicle combat and puzzle solving, but the narrative doesn't always deliver.

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7.5 / 10.0
Apr 24, 2024

A light and light-hearted but not uninteresting ARPG, Sand Land. It doesn't have a deep gameplay or the slightest revolutionary ambition, several game elements are so canonical as to make it appear flat to the best accustomed, yet it still lets itself be played with a certain taste. The vehicles give an extra quid to the journey of Beelzebub and his companions, not only from the point of view of moving in an open world that is unfortunately not very exciting. The rest is taken care of by the pleasant touch of the late artist that so many of us, from an early age, have learned to consider as a loved one.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Apr 24, 2024

Sand Land is a fitting farewell to Akira Toriyama as the game elevates itself above most digital adaptations of his work, delivering a well-presented story, solid action, and satisfying exploration. Some aspects of the game’s design may be a bit overfamiliar for open-world veterans, but newer players and fans just looking to explore a fresh world from the master will likely enjoy burying themselves in this sandy adventure.

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78 / 100
Apr 24, 2024

Sand Land captures the heart and soul of Akira Toriyama’s classic tale. Jumping in a vehicle and fighting creatures is a highlight of the experience and overshadows the lackluster melee combat. Side quests are a little dull but the main campaign is varied and an accurate interpretation and interesting extension of the Manga. With its stunning visuals, fans of anime will love this thrilling journey through Toriyama’s iconic universe.

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8 / 10
Apr 24, 2024

Broken down into individual pieces, Sand Land doesn't do anything particularly amazing, but when taken as a whole, this is one of the best anime-based games that we've played in a long time. It's got plenty of great story moments, its open world structure is moreish, and combat is satisfyingly solid. A robust and lovingly crafted adventure that charms from start to finish.

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8 / 10.0
Apr 24, 2024

Sand Land immediately caught my attention due to its ties to Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball and character designs in the Dragon Quest series. With a manga, anime, and now a video game adaptation, Sand Land has quietly become a full-fledged franchise, seemingly over night. Despite its simple premise-a search for water in a desert wasteland-Sand Land offers a mix of action RPG, vehicle combat, and stealth gameplay that's just plain fun. The game stays faithful to its source material while offering surprising depth and variety in gameplay mechanics. Despite some challenges with the stealth sections, Sand Land provides a fun and engaging experience and retains the nostalgic charm of its origins in Toriyama's work.

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83 / 100
May 6, 2024

The end of our journey is just the beginning of your adventure. Sand Land is a work that feels very personal, leaving us with a great reflection, which is hidden with demons, humans, tanks and battles. War only brings desolation to everyone, no matter who they are.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Apr 25, 2024

Sand Land harkens back to a time when action adventure games were hitting their stride after the jump from 2D pixels to 3D polygons. It just feels like a familiar friend from the old days — one that you’re quite happy to see return after a long while. Yeah, he may still be sporting an outdated mullet and using old slang. But he’s still the same good guy that you know and had fun times with and, honestly, that’s really all you need sometimes. Add the late Akira Toriyama’s unique visual style and you have a game that fans of old-school 3D action adventure games just might have a super time with.

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4 / 5.0
Apr 24, 2024

A lighthearted yet emotional open world adventure with some great exploration and progression held back only by its lack of diversity.

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7 / 10.0
Apr 24, 2024

Sand Land is therefore a tie-in that is not fully successful on the playful and content front, but it is a videogame adaptation that expresses a lot of affection towards the work from which it is taken.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Gameblog
_SutterCane
Top Critic
6 / 10
Apr 24, 2024

Our feelings about Sand Land The Video Game are mixed. On one hand, this is a perfect adaptation of the manga from Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball). It's absolutely gorgeous with phenomenal cel-shading and all the characters that we love. But the open world formula is too classic and the game suffers from a slow pace, narratives issues and a lack from impactful moments.

Review in French | Read full review

Atomix
Top Critic
80 / 100
Apr 24, 2024

Definitely not the perfect job was done in terms of gameplay, but at least it is a good tribute to the original work and therefore, to the author, who unfortunately was not able to see the finished project. So, if you were looking for something different and with a concept that is not just about fighting, it is very possible that you will find this game fun with the good customization options on vehicles.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

75 / 100
Apr 24, 2024

Sand Land, peppered with great characters, is a real feel-good adventure for Toriyama fans, but it comes across as too shallow in terms of gameplay.

Review in German | Read full review

RPG Fan
Top Critic
75%
May 11, 2024

Children and Akira Toriyama fans will probably love Sand Land.

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95 / 100
Apr 24, 2024

Sand Land is not just another adventure, it's a thrilling journey through the creative landscapes of Toriyama's imagination. It's an oasis of content ready to be explored form one grain of sand to the next. With Beelzebub leading the charge, this game promises a haven of juicy content and vibrant character development amidst the dry, vacant desert setting. All I want to say is that fans should eagerly anticipate the release, it's clear that Toriyama's legacy continues to captivate audiences that will draw you into worlds where even deserts are brimming with life. So, grab your favorite juice and prepare for an RPG experience that'll leave you parched for more!

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50%
Apr 24, 2024

A bright and vibrant world filled with dull combat and a plodding story.

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7 / 10.0
Apr 26, 2024

Despite several lacking elements, SAND LAND is a solid adaptation of Toriyama's work with a well-realized setting, sharp presentation and fun combat.

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8 / 10.0
May 1, 2024

With a extraordinary art style, touching story and interesting gameplay loop, SAND LAND ended up really hitting home with me.

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Stevivor
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Apr 24, 2024

Beyond being a fun game to play, Sand Land is a great and timely example of the work of Akira Toriyama, and a reminder just how much more he was than just the Dragonball Z guy. Sand Land is its own thing – it was actually exciting to have a demon called a slime appear, and have it NOT be the dollop-shaped slime of the Dragon Quest series. While the vehicle combat system isn’t breaking any new ground, it still goes about things in its own, slightly odd way. It’s a breath of fresh, desert air – and I think there’s a few miles left in the tank yet.

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7.5 / 10.0
Apr 24, 2024

Sand Land is ambitious, full of ideas, and clearly wears its admiration of Toriyama's work on its sleeve. Your ever-growing pantheon of Bots is a highlight, letting you explore the world and take on enemies as you please. The town-rebuilding aspect is deeply rewarding, and the game becomes more beautiful as you keep playing. However, the abundance of menus required for crafting, the monotonous out-of-vehicle combat, and the endless fountain of repetitive chatter mar an experience that's nonetheless worth experiencing. I think Sand Land is going to be the infrequent RPG I continue playing after review, but maybe on a better computer.

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