when Sandland When Action RPG was announced at Summer Game Fest, I heard the term “Action RPG” and expected a completely different game. After playing the game for about half an hour, I regained my sanity. It’s not your typical manga or anime adaptation, but this one is different.
Based on the manga by Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball (and drawn in his signature style). Sandland tells the story of the demon prince Beelzebub, who is more benevolent than his nickname suggests. Think of this as a fantasy Mad Max. In a world populated by humans, demons, etc., the water supply has dried up, much of the rest has been hoarded and sold by greedy kings, and the rest of civilization must fight over what they can – often , with delightfully weaponized vehicles. Beelzebub, and your role is to overthrow that king and restore water to this parched world.
This is a good setting for game adaptation. My demo takes me on a hidden route through a desolate desert town, across vast explorable areas, and through sun-burnt cliffs, populated by roaming bandits and hordes of dinosaurs. Add to that the freedom to approach all of this the way you want. can Why would you want to roam across the desert on foot when you have a little jeep that you can sprint through?you also can Please take that jeep to the destination. But… doesn’t that Raider have a tank he can steal instead?
This is a quick departure from the more linear RPGs you’d expect, and it’s reflected in the action. Gear and skill points may still accumulate, but moment-to-moment interactions are action-based and organic. Beelzebub’s combat from the car is primarily dominated by light and heavy attacks, chaining them together for multiple effects (juggle, area of effect attacks, etc.), plus additional magic attacks and dashes.
All of this comes with a sense of speed, and you’ll often be surrounded in combat, requiring evasive maneuvers and space management just as much as killing enemies directly. Speed is only increased in vehicular combat, which is essential for the game.in my aquarium (yes course I stole a tank), I encountered an Alpharaptor that was much larger than the normal species I was killing on foot, and immediately felt the benefits of having high-performance bullets at my disposal. I didn’t see it when I was playing the game. Sandland Offering vehicle customization seems like switching between foot and vehicle combat is key to progression, rather than setplays.
Combined, it makes for an experience that promises a true adaptation of the original manga. It’s about using the source material as a source of ideas, rather than forcing them into a template that seems to apply. SandlandThe most exciting element of is its unpredictability. Looking forward to seeing more when it arrives.
Sand Land will be released for Xbox Series X|S. For more details, please wait for the announcement of the release date.
