Sand Land: PS5 Review

Developed by ILCA
Published by Bandai Namco
Platform: PS5

Based on the Japanese anime series Sand Land, the PlayStation game of the same name follows the exploits of  Beelzebub, Rao, Ann and Thief.

This quartet are on a journey through the desert to find a Legendary Spring - but their journey is fraught with dangerous monsters and a malevolent king's army.

Mixing action RPG with some hack and slash attacks, the game's Gorillaz style animation and gameplay takes a little time to get used to - and whilst it begins with fighting, it soon moves to land traversal and combat via vehicles.

And while it feels fresh initially and opens up combat with more skill tree unlocking, the game's overreliance on vehicle play kind of robs it of any character it may have had initially, leaving it feeling more like it's a game that's a mix of cut scenes and a World of Tanks hybrid.

Mixing some stealth and some side-quests, Sand Land feels like it's trying to do all things at once, and not quite pulling all of them together in their own way. It's a mesh of ideas and scenarios rather than a fluid storyline - while that may appeal to some, it's frustrating that it may not appeal to others.

But you can't help shake the feeling it's a series of fetch quests cobbled together with some tank combat and Twisted Metal-style shenanigans that are fun to play, but feel a little hollow at the end of the day.