With a new trailer released at Summer Game Fest 2023,Sand Landlooks to be the perfect crossover betweenBorderlandsandDragon Quest.The game brings the standout visuals ofBorderlandstogether with Toriyama’s trademarkDragonRPG style. Wild hairdos and earth-shaking explosions are promised by the short gameplay teaser that just drips in thebeloved style ofDragon Quest.
TheBorderlandsfranchise’s success is partly due to its wonderful art style that is mirrored inSand Land. The cel-shaded environment and characters bring so much life to the arid, dry desert setting, only accentuating the bright colors ofSand Lands’characters. As for what is reminiscent ofDragon Quest, the battles look flooded with neons, flashes, and wild moves bringing the excitement of Toriyama’s other work to hisall-new IP. The crazy hairstyles and fight styles so familiar toDragon Questplayers contrast nicely with the dry and yellow sands of the desert.
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Colorful Characters in A Desolate Wasteland Make Sand Land Stand Out
Sand Landdraws inspiration from the almost apocalyptic wastelands ofBorderlands, with hulking towers, desolate outposts, and towering ravines being featured. The similarities are only deepened with the showcased array of drivable, weaponized vehicles to choose from. The wastelands ofSand Landcan be easily traversed, and the enemies dispatched by the use of tanks, buggies, and bikes that all look like they are thrown together by wasteland scrap.
The familiar outposts lie scattered around the desert ofSand Land, posingchallenging side questsand objectives to be hunted down and conquered, likely rewarding players with new and exciting gear and power-ups. Gamers will have a wide variety of attacks and customizable vehicles to use throughout the game, each suiting the varied range of enemies that will have to be faced on the quest for water inSand Land. Every battle can be tackled the way the player wants, using the same wacky and wild approach seen intheBorderlandsfranchise.
A Well Seasoned Producer Makes Sand Land’s Gameplay Promising
The much-loved series ofDragon Questgames currently sits at a total of eleven releases, which bodes well forSand Land; any writer with this many games under their best will surely be more than comfortable with a new title to work on. Akin toBorderlands, this game promises to be full of side quests and intriguing characters that will keep the world full and exciting, and Akira Toriyama’s love for storytelling will surely shine through withSand Lands’new world and experiences.
Akira Toriyama draws from his Manga of the same name to bring his drawn characters to life inSand Land. His beloved art style, seen in bothDragon Questand the seminalDragon Ball, is recognizable the world over. ThroughoutSand Land,the familiar character models - with their spiky hair, severe eyebrows, and bright clothes - wreak havoc withDragon Quest-like combo moves accentuated by flashes and bangs. DespiteDragon Questbeing aturn-based RPG,Sand Landtakes the battle into real-time with fast-paced, flashy moves. Fans of the huge, overpowered destruction ofDragon Questneedn’t fear, though, as the wanton destruction of superhuman strength is still very present.
Like withDragon Quest, the player is burdened with the task of saving the land from an evil that only he and his rag-tag team of adventurers can save. The Hero, Beelzebub, must make his way through the wasteland to find the Legendary Spring, which promises to bring back water to the desert.Sand Landbrings together Monsters and Heroes to fight side by side against the forces of evil, with the cheesy quips and banter that is so familiar to players of theDragon Questgames sure to be present. So far, it is unclear whether the game will draw from the original Manga, but with Toriyama heading up the production, there are sure to be a number of similarities.Sand Landalready has a movie adaptationin the works to go alongside the game’s release, so fans of the property have a lot to be excited about.
Sand Landlaunches on August 18 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
