Sand Land Review: "An Adept Adaptation Of A Beloved Manga"

the video game is both an adaptation of the late Akira Toriyama's work and a revised and expanded edition of the beloved manga from 2000., published by Bandai Namco, is developed by ILCA, the studio behind Bandai Namco's own and the Toriyama-art-filled from Square Enix. This really shows in its art style, cel-shading that looks like Toriyama's illustrations come to life, and in the gameplay.

While the manga never quite reached the popularity of other Akira Toriyama works like or, the story of Prince Beelzebub, Sheriff Rao, and the demon Thief was a short and sweet adventure brimming with humor. Just like in the manga (or the new anime) the video game focuses on these three (along with newcomer Ann) as they prowl the desert wasteland looking for water while evading the greedy king's army inside a stolen tank and other vehicles. It's an adept adaptation that respects the source material by expanding on the manga's core story and adding in new characters and subplots.

Sand Land is a genre-bending RPG that makes an ideal Toriyama video game.

While there are plenty of things to do in, the primary focus is on its vehicle combat. It's a bit like, a bit like the buggies in, and full of customization. Additional vehicles are unlocked over the course of the game, with Beelzebub creating quite a few. From there, parts and vehicles can be customized and upgraded with materials either bought from vendors or found in chests across the wasteland. Different obstacles and battles require strategizing with different vehicles, and toggling between primary and secondary weapons to avoid getting obliterated during reloading times will keep players on their toes.

Vehicle customization feels pretty deep, but it can feel grindy at times when hunting the materials needed for certain parts. Overall, it's excellent, but it's in contrast to the regular character combat — which feels a bit too simple. Essentially, Beelzebub can use a standard and a strong move while abilities and dark