Akira Toriyama’s ‘Sand Land’: A Post-Apocalyptic Adventure with a Complex Vehicular Combat System

“Sand Land” is a highly anticipated title that has garnered attention for multiple reasons. Firstly, it is an open-world game in a market saturated with the genre, but secondly, it was created by the esteemed Akira Toriyama, known for classics like “Dragon Ball” and “Dr. Slump”. The pressure on the game increased after the author’s premature death in March, making fans more protective of his legacy. Fortunately, the game proves to be a competent adaptation of the source material, showcasing Toriyama’s genius and offering entertaining moments with a complex vehicular combat system.

The game follows a post-apocalyptic world resembling “Mad Max”, where water control is a tool of subjugation by the powerful. The story focuses on unconventional heroes like Beelzebub, a demon prince, Sheriff Rao, and Thief. Their camaraderie drives the adventure while dealing with themes like prejudice, trauma, and exploitation while maintaining an optimistic tone. The addition of a new character, Ann, brings a mysterious lineage and mechanic skills to the story.

The game’s main focus is on vehicular combat. Offering a variety of vehicles like tanks, cars, motorcycles and robots with unique abilities shines with Toriyama’s creative designs. However, other aspects like hand-to-hand combat and stealth systems feel lacking in depth compared to the vehicular combat system.

While the open world offers varied towns to explore and activities to complete but lacks overall substance. It often feels repetitive as in “Far Cry” formula.

“Sand Land” includes main and side missions that progress the story while providing additional content often delving into dark and complementary stories. Despite its flaws such as limited depth in hand-to-hand combat and stealth systems or repetitive open world activities; it still manages to be an enjoyable experience thanks to its endearing characters and Toriyama’s storytelling prowess.

In conclusion “Sand Land” is proof that Toriyama’s ability to craft stories that resonate globally despite its shortcomings