My SAND LAND First Impressions (SAND LAND Review)
I finished Sand Land, and it’s honestly so much fun. The game made players spend most of their time on open-world exploration, vehicle customization, and vehicular combat. It’s a bit like Mad Max in its first half and then changes scenery from a vast desert to a lush forest world.
I’m happy with how they treated the vehicles, each with its own strengths and personality. Each also has a reason for existing, and more areas can be explored as more vehicles get unlocked since each of them is capable of different things. You also collect materials to build better parts or pick better parts from enemy vehicles.
Funnily enough, Sand Land has some stealth espionage mechanics similar to Metal Gear’s. There are also some mini-games like QTEs or sudden shifts to side-scrolling platform gameplay when inside ruins or dungeons. They’re all fun.
The best part about Sand Land, I think, is that it almost doesn’t have any loading screens! There are only loading screens when going inside dungeons or fast traveling. Still, the loading time is super short, and I don’t know how they did it. Traveling between Sand Land‘s two maps (yes, there are two) is also available, with super short loading time! Both are also extremely vast and will take hours to fully explore, making the loading time when traveling between them more amazing.
SAND LAND Gameplay
Sand Land focuses on exploration and vehicular combat more than anything else, making use of its vast landscapes in Sand Land and Forest Land.
Players will take control of Beelzebub as he journeys across the Sand Land, meet friends, defeat enemies, and create vehicles that fit his taste and flavor. Players have different vehicles to choose from but they will be limited to one at the very start and eventually work their way through the story and unlock more and more.
As I wrote a while ago, each vehicle has its strengths and personality. Each vehicle will also be unlocked as its purpose becomes needed to traverse through areas in the game. At first, you will have the Tank, then the Jump Bot, the Bike, and so on. Each vehicle will also feature tons of customization options such as armor and guns. Different parts dictate different stats of the vehicle and their rarity will almost always determine the best part for the job you want it to do.
You will also have to search and scour the vast lands of Sand Land to acquire parts for upgrades or replacement. You can also find drops from enemies so there is that option if you love fighting.
Off the vehicle, you can walk around and fight monsters as well so you need to brush up on your walking skills. There are also sections in the game where you have to sneak in and out to be safe and efficient. Particularly, enemy bases are those sections. In fact, if you get caught, you restart your progress inside these bases. These bases area also important as they hold chests with some of the best parts or materials to upgrade your vehicles.
SAND LAND Graphics, Theme, and Setting
Sand Land captures the essence of classic Japanese RPGs, with characters designed in Akira Toriyama’s signature style and environments that range from the stark barrenness of the wasteland to the vibrant lushness of the forest. The game is visually easy on the eyes, immersing players in its world through detailed and colorful environments, with some cool reveals when you reach specific areas. It starts in a vast desert reminiscent of Mad Max, before transitioning to a lush forest world, offering a refreshing change of scenery.
The theme brings back the nostalgia of my younger days, where stories were a bit ridiculous, yet conveyed wholesome lessons. Despite the fantastical setting, the game emphasizes fun gameplay at its core, seamlessly blending exploration and combat.
The narrative might seem light-hearted, but it complements the overall experience, making Sand Land both a visually and thematically engaging journey.
SAND LAND Story and NPCs
Sand Land‘s story mostly follows the canon of the Sand Land manga with Beelzebub as the main character and a cast of members following him along the journey. More and more characters will join him and there is a new addition to the cast that is not in the manga; Ann. Aside from the new character; Ann, a new area called Forest Land is featured in the game, expanding the world and story further.
The story of Sand Land is, as said before, very lighthearted, focusing on friendship, redemption, and adventure. I can go into the details but it doesn’t really matter that much and you’re better off enjoying the gameplay more than anything else.
More SAND LAND Screenshots
SAND LAND FAQs
How long does it take to beat Sand Land?
It took me around 50 hours to complete Sand Land but I was trying to do a completionist run.
Is Sand Land finished?
The manga is finished and the game is also finished. The difference is that Sand Land; the game, expands the universe explored in the manga.
What type of game is Sand Land?
It is an open-world exploration adventure game with vehicular combat.
Is Sand Land open world?
Yes.
Related Questions: Is Sand Land related to Dragon Ball?, Who is Beelzebub’s father in Sand Land?, What is the story of the game Sand Land?, Does Sand Land have an anime?
Leave a Reply