An adaptation of Akira Toriyama’s desert-themed, post-war manga, Sand Land arrives as an open-world action RPG on April 25, 2024. If you’re a fan of Toriyama’s other work, such as Dragon Ball, you’ll want to keep an eye on Sand Landas we get closer to the release date. And as it seems to offer a story laden with themes of war and environmental change, it’s ilooking like a pretty action-packed, exploration-rich journey.
If you’ve been out of the loop or haven’t heard of Sand Land before, we’ve gathered up everything we know about this upcoming manga adaptation.
What kind of game is Sand Land?
Sand Land is a single player action RPG based on Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama’s 2000’s manga of the same name. Using customizable vehicles, players will assume the role of the series’ protagonist, Beelzebub. A demonic prince, Beelzebub also has a selection of powers you can deploy against a variety of foes.
Check out Sand Land’s story trailer here to get a sense of the narrative.
Sand Land’s manga and 2023 anime film have been praised for its characters and narrative themes of climate change and the effects of war, so hopefully the game will be just as pointed with its commentary.
Skill-based combat on foot, explosive chaos in vehicles
As mentioned in Sand Land’s first dev diary, Beelzebub will have access to a skill tree and can make use of combo-based attacks when taking on more challenging foes. But the game’s most intense encounters will rely heavily on the player’s self-customized vehicles, which include tanks, mechs, motorcycles, and hovercraft.
Enemies can also pilot vehicles, so expect desert-based vehicular carnage. There are a variety of foes strewn across Sand Land’s large map, including some encounters adapted straight from the manga, like the Geji Dragon boss.
An open world with dungeons to delve
Sand Land features a large open world with both desert and lush, green biomes to explore. The game also promises dungeon exploration. Dungeons vary in size and will include locales such as abandoned battleships that both offer opportunities to loot and collect resources in addition to the environmental storytelling they offer.
Building your base camp is essential
Aside from exploring, fighting, and customizing your vehicles, you’ll also need to build up your base camp. Not only will this area be essential for advancing the story, it’s where you’ll source the game’s items. The base camp expands as you complete quests and it even lets you customize your own bedroom.
Sand Land editions for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox
Aside from the $60-dollar standard edition on PC, PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X/S (there’s no Xbox One version), Sand Land also ships with a Deluxe and Collector’s edition. The $70-dollar Deluxe edition includes some in—game extras such as unique weapons, decals, and extra furnishings for your room at base camp. The collector’s edition will sell for $150 and includes a postcard set, steelbook case, and a statue of Beelzebub.
Sand Land promises a pretty diverse and feature rich experience. The game’s official playlist on YouTube is a great source for some deeper dives into its specifics. We’ll be looking forward to its launch, and any new information, as we get closer to release on April 25, 2024
