For the first time, SAND LAND is being brought to the screen with a brand-new action RPG and anime launching together. This is the first addition to the world that Akira Toriyama created in more than 20 years, and these properties were made in tandem with the late creator. Our preview at the Bandai Namco offices in California was a bittersweet experience, where you could feel the team’s massive loss but still feel the hope and excitement of bringing Toriyama’s work to long-time fans in a new way.
We first got a peek into the world of the SAND LAND video game at Summer Game Fest. Now, after seeing it a second time, we at CGMagazine can confidently say that Bandai Namco has its heart and soul in SAND LAND, now more than ever, and it is important to know that everything players will see in the game was either approved, supported and even created by Toriyama himself.
SAND LAND follows the iconic character, Beelzebub, as the demon traverses both desert and forest to gather troops to stop his enemies from raising the Forest Army and taking over. During our time with the game, we had Rao and Thief in our party as we explored the desert in search of the entrance to Forest Land. After exploring the desert on a motorbike for a while, we had to switch to the hovercraft to enter a watery cave that opened up to massive multi-level rooms.
“SAND LAND features two completely open-world maps to explore: the desert we all know and love and the lush forests we’ve been dying to explore.”
Here, we were met with our first puzzle. In order to get through the cave system, we needed to raise and lower the water levels to various levels to make our way through the other side. Puzzles are just one of the many mechanics in SAND LAND, but the all-new Forest Land was waiting for us on the other side.
This will be the first time anyone has seen the new Forest Land area. When people love a property as much as SAND LAND, it is easy to worry when something new is introduced, but you can rest easy about this addition to this beloved world. This new area was designed by the late Toriyama himself, so you know it has the stamp of approval that hardcore manga fans are looking for. We were also told that SAND LAND would delve deeper into the characters from the manga, so even though the game is being made for a more diverse audience, there will still be special moments for long-time SAND LAND fans.
SAND LAND features two completely open-world maps to explore: the desert we all know and love and the lush forests we’ve been dying to explore. Enemies in each area vary, with the desert area featuring ferocious raptors and stinging scorpions, as well as a variety of human and vehicle enemies, and the forest area featuring flying enemies and more.
The terrain is also completely opposite in each zone. Although both maps are open-world, Sand Land is a large, barren landscape with wide open spaces, ruins and rock formations. The Forest Land feels more inhabited and full of life, from the green grass and lush trees to the rocky mountains and small creatures that live on the land. Travelling on each map is also a completely different experience. While the desert is mostly flat and open, with views in every direction, the forest has purpose-built paths and roads that wind up and down, often requiring players to find the right path to get where they need to go.
Bandai Namco and Akira Toriyama put careful thought into designing two entirely different maps to explore in SAND LAND. Luckily, they came up with just as much content. The first portion of the preview we had access to was around 30 hours in, and the dev team told us that it was about halfway through the game. SAND LAND promises to bring around 60 hours of gameplay, with a staggering amount of endgame content to dive into as well.
Once the main story is complete, players can still access vehicle design and customization, racing, battle arenas, bounty hunting, sub-quests, and more. In our playtime, we also came across many people in danger who, once saved, gave access to a variety of rewards and chests. There will be plenty to continue exploring long after the campaign is complete.
“Bandai Namco and Akira Toriyama put careful thought into designing two entirely different maps to explore in SAND LAND.”
We mentioned vehicle customization, but it is important also to mention how vital your vehicles are to you in SAND LAND. Vehicles are one of many mechanics in the game that players will be required to master. With over 14 vehicles in the game, all having their own controls, customizations and uses, they are a major part of the overall game experience. These vehicles were designed with Toriyama’s other IPs in mind, like Dragon Quest.
We spent most of our time with our tank, motorbike and hovercraft. Motorbikes help you move around the terrain faster. Hovercrafts are used for water travel and for jumping over small gaps. Tanks are needed to blast away enemies, with each vehicle having its own weapon system to tweak and explore. The possibilities are endless, from swapping out weapons or legs to changing the colour of each section and adding decals.
SAND LAND brings a variety of mechanics that will need to be utilized, and in our playthrough, there wasn’t a way to avoid any of them. Stealth was needed to get through an enemy base. Vehicles were needed to solve puzzles and even defeat bosses. Melee combat was invaluable when we were backed into a corner.
Beelzebub also has his own set of special abilities, as well as those of his NPC teammates. Ann can repair your machines, Thief will help you find treasure, and Rao brings his expertise to the table. Depending on their abilities and who they are, NPCs can either passively or actively affect your gameplay. There is something to be said about how fluid everything is, and the ease with which you can jump in and out of combat gives a sense of how flexible the combat and gameplay really are.
You’ll also want to pay attention to these NPCs as you explore. They’ll often give you hints on what to do next or give you background on each other or the area you’re in. The banter in SAND LAND was helpful and funny most of the time, but occasionally, the chat during longer battles felt very repetitive, with few new phrases during each battle.
There’s a lot we didn’t get to test, and that’s not even talking about the deep story at the heart of the experience, which seems to be filled with depth for those willing to take the time to explore it. I know I can’t wait to actually get more time to take in everything SAND LAND has to offer and really experience the game the way it was meant to be played.
If you’re a fan of the original manga, a lover of action RPGs, or someone looking to jump into the franchise for the first time, SAND LAND brings a plethora of material to experience. When the game launches next month, the world of SAND LAND will be brought to life alongside the new anime launch, with the first story update in more than 20 years. We can’t wait to see what else Bandai Namco has created and what other new and lifelong fans think!
