Highlights
- Famous mangaka Akira Toriyama passed away earlier this year at the age of 68, but he got to try the Sand Land game before he did, seeing his 24-year-old manga adapted for a brand-new medium.
- He praised how it expanded his world and said that he recommends the game, even as someone who only plays casually.
Earlier this year, famous mangaka and Dragon Quest co-creator Akira Toriyama passed away at the age of 68. But before he did, he had the chance to try out the new Sand Land game, based on his one-shot manga series from 24 years ago.
“I haven’t watched through all of the gameplay yet,” Toriyama wrote in January. “However, it greatly expands the worldview of the original manga with many new exciting elements […] I myself can only play casual games, but I do check out the trending games my family plays, and I think I know a little something about them even for an old man. I seriously recommend the game Sand Land!”
Sand Land Hits Even Harder After Akira Toriyama’s Death
Seeing Akira Toriyama’s niche masterpiece adapted into a big open-world adventure left me surprisingly emotional.
It took over 20 years, but Sand Land is in the limelight now like never before. Not only is there a new video game adaptation – which even introduces a location called Forest Land – but it also got a dedicated film last year that led into a new anime series. Long dwarfed by Toriyama’s iconic manga-turned-anime Dragon Ball, Sand Land is finally getting its turn in the sun.
What Did Critics Say About Sand Land?
Three months after Toriyama got his hands on Sand Land and saw his old manga brought to life as a video game first-hand, it hit store shelves and the reviews poured in. We at TheGamer scored it 2.5 stars, as Features Editor Tessa Kaur wrote that they “enjoyed [their] time” with the game but that the side quests were “pointless” and the open world “samey”.
As of writing, with 37 reviews, it has an aggregate score of 72 on OpenCritic, earning it the “Fair” badge. Reviewers praised its vehicular combat and gorgeous cel-shaded visuals but lamented its shallow open world and repetitive gameplay loop.
It launches later today, and you can pick it up for £49.99 on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
Sand Land
Sand Land is an open-world RPG based on the hit manga series from Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama. On a desert world severely lacking water, you’ll set off on a quest to find the Legendary Spring.
