Test Sand Land – A superb adaptation of Toriyama's manga in a classic RPG

Test conditions: We completed the title on PS5 with the “normal” difficulty mode and mainly with the Japanese dubbing. We also did many side quests and other activities offered.

A friendly Dragon Ball adventure

Akira Toriyama, most famous for his iconic work as a character designer on major titles such as Dragon Quest And Chrono Trigger, has had a profound impact on the world of video games. His ability to create captivating worlds and characters is evident in Sand Land, which offers a pure concentrate of his imagination. This game offers an adventure reminiscent of Goku's first steps in Dragon Balla period where the emphasis was on exploration and adventure rather than the intense combat that would later characterize the series.

Developed from a single volume, the video game Sand Land plunges us into the distant future. The Earth has become an arid planet and suffers from a severe water shortage. We follow the adventures of the demon prince Beelzebub, accompanied by his faithful demon assistant Thief, as well as Sheriff Lao. Together, they aspire to find a lake that has mysteriously disappeared for many years.

About half of the game's content is taken directly from the original manga, while Bandai Namco expanded the story with new plots and characters, all under the supervision of the author. This narrative development notably introduces the nation of Forest Land, which comes into conflict with Sand Land for reasons that we will let you discover.

Still, we are pleased to find the mangaka's touch and this talent to make us enjoy a good-natured adventure, full of humor, twists and turns and which can from time to time take us into moments that are a little more serious. The strength of the narrative rests largely on the characters, who quickly become endearing. The main trio is particularly striking, and the game brilliantly explores the prejudices of humans who see demons as evil creatures, although they have never actually encountered one. The ambivalence between the advanced age of the protagonists – including our young hero, the demon prince – and their often immature and childish behavior is skillfully exploited.

The power of Unreal Engine 5 for manga/anime adaptations

One of the great successes of Sand Land is undoubtedly the quality of its adaptation, faithful to the tips of its nails. Visually, the game is exceptional, benefiting from an artistic direction that respects and enhances Toriyama's style. The use of Cell Shading under Unreal Engine 5 is particularly effective, enriched by pencil effects which reinforce the manga aesthetic.

The animations are not to be outdone because the title is full of details at this level: the soldiers passing out, the falling movements of the vehicles, the facial expressions… Sand Land thus offers an open world that is pleasant to explore and without technical concerns. The title runs easily at high resolution and 60 FPS on PS5. “Easy when it's only desert” some will say, however we should not underestimate the care taken in the decorations, particularly in inhabited areas. We are also treated to splendid panoramas that take advantage of this almost post-apocalyptic environment.

It is nevertheless necessary to point out a disappointment concerning the dungeons and the optional ruins which tend to recycle the same decorations. Adapting a pre-established universe into a video game is not an easy thing; you often have to deal with the constraints imposed by the original work in order not to deviate from its essence. So, the video game Sand Land wanted to do well by scrupulously respecting the creation of Akira Toriyama, by starting with an open world Action-RPG allowing us to experience this epic.

These constraints manifest themselves in fairly classic game mechanics and an open world which, although pleasant to explore thanks to the integration of different vehicles, does not manage to distinguish itself sufficiently from the classics of the genre. As we repeated in our previews, what makes it stand out from the crowd is the use of the different vehicles which manage to make the title pleasant to navigate. However, this is not enough to make him achieve excellence.

Initial Sand

With this approach focusing on loyalty, Sand Land thus ends up with a hybrid gameplay which, unfortunately, lacks depth. Take the example of manga-inspired infiltration sequences, like the one where Thief disguises himself as Santa Claus to steal resources, or the one where the group seizes their iconic tank from a military base. In the game, these moments turn into redundant sequences, although fortunately there are few of them.

The combat system, where we only play as Beelzebub capable of melee combat thanks to his demon powers or of piloting vehicles to inflict more damage, also reflects this problem. The priority given to vehicles in gameplay often makes them much more effective and more attractive than direct combat with the prince. Fortunately, the game excels in showcasing vehicles, which benefit from a wide variety of abilities. From choosing a motorcycle to quickly explore the desert expanses to using combat machines such as tanks or mecha jumpers, the options are vast and well integrated. In addition to allowing you to appreciate Toriyama's superb designs, handling the different vehicles is very satisfying.

In addition, it is possible to personalize them, both visually and functionally, which lets you emphasize the functions you favor (armament, defense, mobility, etc.). However, it's unfortunate that the level design doesn't take full advantage of each device's unique abilities. When it comes to side activities, the game shows a lack of diversity. Aside from a few races and bounty hunter missions, the options are quite limited, which can make exploring the open world less engaging over time. Once again, the title can count on its characters via the side quests which will mainly serve to rebuild the city of Spino which serves as a base for the main trio.

As for the fights, they present a mixed record, even if they include some interesting bosses. Although Sand Land regularly renews its arsenal of machines, as with the introduction of robotic armor which is a delight to pilot, the difficulty however does not offer a sufficiently balanced challenge to exploit their potential (at least in normal mode).