Sand Land
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Sand Land Trailers
SAND LAND — Sandstorm Trailer (feat. Darude)
SAND LAND — Forest Land Trailer
SAND LAND: THE SERIES – Teaser Trailer
Critic Reviews for Sand Land
Sand Land's story, characters, and progression are among its best features, all of which stand out in the JRPG genre and are fondly remembered, even after the credits roll. While its open world may rely a bit too much on the open-world model that many gamers have come to dislike, its exploration still proves to be a rewarding venture that feeds into its satisfying progression system. ILCA and Bandai Namco Entertainment have created something worthwhile in Sand Land, suitable for fans of the original manga and newcomers alike.
Sand Land proves once again that Akira Toriyama and video games are a perfect match.
Sand Land’s vehicular focus shows potential, but devolves into a by-the-numbers open world action game with storytelling that only occasionally manages to live up to the joys of the original work.
Sand Land is just another forgettable tie-in to add to the existing anime game pile.
I enjoyed my time with Sand Land, despite its many flaws. The vehicle gameplay feels great, and it’s the main pull for me – I didn’t mind that the side quests were pointless and the open world samey, because I had an incredibly powerful tank that could blow up small groups of enemies in two seconds. But if you’re hoping that this game will be the best adaptation of Toriyama’s manga series, you’re out of luck. I’d just watch the anime instead.
Sand Land has its shortcomings and feels a little overlong despite seeing credits around the reasonable 20-hour mark, but it maintains a charm throughout. Toriyama’s fun sense of humor is front and center with Beelzebub taking on the adventure primarily so his dad will give him an extra hour of video game time every day. I may not have had strong connections with most of the cast and was annoyed with a number of specific sections, but I liked spending time in Sand Land (and beyond) and seeing my garage upgrade and grow.
Sand Land's fantastic vehicular combat and adherence to the source material are let down by bland and repetitive stealth, melee combat, and mission design.
Sand Land is all set to be your new favourite anime, with compelling characters, enjoyable combat and great anime visuals in video game form. You might just find that Akira Toriyama has saved the best for last.
