Sand Land Impresses With Size, but Quality's Concerning

I had the opportunity to test Sand Land on several different save games – from the beginning of the game, during exploration of underwater cave networks and a stealth stage. The production based on the manga by Akira Toriyama, the creator of the cult Dragon Ball, gives the impression of being extensive and filled with content, but I am concerned about whether the developers have properly measured their efforts against intentions. On top of that, the whole thing seems pretty generic, poorly utilizing the advantages of an extraordinary universe.

There will be things to do in this desert... but we might not feel that

The main character of Sand Land is Beelzebub, who sets out to search for a legendary spring that offers a valuable water resource able to give the inhabitants of the desert hope for survival. On his way, the hero encounters bandits and dangerous animals, and also gets involved in matters of political importance. You don't need to know the manga, movie nor the TV series to understand this story – to my current understanding, the game largely overlaps with them (certainly with the movie that I've seen, but it goes beyond the action presented in it and continues threads, just like the show does).

The developers have taken the current standards of action-RPG games seriously. The title is large, filled with activity in the form of various challenges and side quests, with open worlds – Sand Land is also heading in this direction, with a really large map. Without fast travel points, you won't get anywhere, otherwise you would often have to take the long way, and believe me, you don't want that.

Of course, there are plenty of video games where exploring the world is genuinely enjoyable. Travel enhances immersion, allows you to admire beautiful views, and in addition, movement, for example on horseback, provides respite from intense action and often stunning views. It doesn't look so fabulous here – let's start with the fact that locations can have unpleasant restrictions, requiring maneuvering, or circumventing obstacles. Since at the beginning, only a sluggish tank was available, I quickly got tired of driving.

I also couldn't convince myself whether this world would be sufficiently alive. I had the impression that the main goal was different. And that would be along the lines of: let the player have something to do, let them encounter wild beasts, let them use available vehicles to deal with various problems in their own way. Such solution makes even someone engrossed in the game more likely to use fast travel points after a while. There's nothing to contemplate, nor are there any other point of interest to enjoy along the ride.

Target group – mostly younger players?

While playing, I realized that as a kid, I would probably have been delighted with this production. Back then, all I needed was: colorful graphics, progress that allowed me to see new places and characters, and undemanding challenges. And I perceived Sand Land more or less similarly; as a title theoretically aiming higher, wanting to punch above its weight.

However, I have a problem with the quality of the stages. Stealth turned out to be very simple – if I wanted to play a thief, I would choose one of the Assassin's Creed games. Here, the gameplay segment is clearly much lower than Ubisoft's flagship series, it's a small addition that's supposed to diversify the fun, but due to simplicity, it doesn't go beyond the role of an average time filler. Mediocrity does not cut it for me.

Another stage was about the exploration of underwater caves. This required a bit of thinking, because to proceed further, it was necessary to raise the water level using levers located in a few spots. You can feel like a treasure hunter – Drake or Lara Craft! Only again – in a much simpler version, which may bore a more experienced player, unlike a younger one, for whom Tomb Raider and Uncharted may be too mature in content.

Moreover, since at this moment, some locations in the game are underwater, we have to use one of the vehicles – a hovercraft. As a result, we constantly switch between walking and driving, which takes up precious seconds of watching the embark/disembark animations and disturbs the flow. After a moment on the hovercraft, we leave it anywhere, then quickly go on foot up the stairs, pull a lever, and we need the hovercraft again (which seems to just spawn there), and then another obstacle again, so we get off again... It's kinda absurd.

Did it have to be an RPG?

One can again defend Sand Land, arguing that the above-mentioned stage is just an element of diversification, not the essence of gameplay. However, to be honest – based on these few hours of playing, it's hard for me to find a component that, while being just piece of the puzzle, shines in itself. I did notice puzzles that I would most willingly get rid of without any second thoughts.

But did it have to be an RPG? I don't think so, but there it is and that's why we have an open world, which doesn't look very interesting. It's true that the quests try to build a story, but I don't think Sand Land is for fans of these. The dialogues here are too poor, seemingly written more for a less demanding, younger audience, than for someone who would like something more meaningful. On the other hand, the combat lacks the appropriate dynamics and substance, directing my thoughts towards cheap childhood games like Kajko and Kokosz: Flying School – although it must be admitted that the enemies react to our blows.

We also have character and vehicle development, as well as the ability to customize various things according to our preference – a space to show off, but who is it for? Based on several hours of play, I have the impression that Sand Land lacks justification for individual elements of the adventure – more demanding gameplay or pure fun. Quantity doesn't seem to match quality, and as a result, the gameplay is tiring and has uneven pace, while the story may turn out to be a mere excuse for simply doing stuff in this post-apocalyptic world – rather than having any inherent value. I would like less, but better, and perhaps more creative, going beyond the one-dimensionality of the story. Maybe I will eventually get it – I'm not saying I'm completely against this title, but after my experience, all i have are mostly concerns.