Summary
Being an adaptation and expansion of the late Akira Toriyama’s Manga,Sand Landoffers avery compelling story with excellent vehicular combat and tightly tuned boss encountersthat will pull you through some of its rougher sections.
If you’re looking for a similar experience, you may be spinning your wheels in the mud, as it is near impossible to capture the same charm and compassion as Toriyama. However, while not perfect, some excellent experiences out there will do a decent job of scratching the itch and immersing you in the world, gameplay, and characters!
If the art style, solid storytelling and music, and wonderful characters drew you into the world of Sand World and kept you there until you rolled credits, thenDragon Quest 11is the clear frontrunner for the next title you should check out.
As is the case for all the Dragon Quest games before and after its release, Akira Toriyama worked on the art for some of the character and monster designs, which is why the overall look and aesthetics resemble Dragon Ball and Sand Land.
Dragon Quest 11 is one of the best JRPGs you can get your hands on, but it has a sluggish start and turn-based combat, so if you love Sand Land for its more fast-paced and real-time combat, this may be a deterrent for you. Still, we recommend giving it a go!
Next, we haveScarlet Nexus, one of the more ambitious JRPGs of this generation. It provides a tremendous cast of characters, a robust and captivating story,and arguably one of the best real-time combat systemsthat ties everything together.
Scarlet Nexus may not look or play like Sand Land, but its ambition in storytelling and combat puts it on familiar footing. It is a must-play if you are captivated by Sand Land’s unique world, gameplay, and characters.
Furthermore, there is also an anime tie-in for Scarlet Nexus, allowing you to dive even further into its world beyond the game as you may with the manga and movie of Sand Land!
In a similar vein,Tales of Ariseis also one of the best modern JPGs released this generation. It is filled to the brim with gorgeous vistas, wonderful and unique party members, and a solid story that will keep you engaged from the moment you boot it up to its conclusion.
Tales of Arise also features real-time combat focused on its Artes system.You constantly learn new and devastating abilities with each of your party members and face challenging boss encounters that will test your skills.
If Sand Lands’s challenging and well-tuned boss encounters and high-octane combat kept you engaged, we cannot recommend Tales of Arise enough. Especially since it also delivers on everything else on top of that!
Perhaps one of the more divisive games in the series,Final Fantasy 15is our clear pick as a recommendation for anyone who enjoyed Sand Land, and it’s not even close. And we mean that as a good thing.
Going on long road trips with the bros, fighting unique and formidable foes,and taking in the vast, often empty, worldis this game’s whole identity, and we love it for that. While things can get repetitive, the main story and overarching theme will carry you across the finish line.
Final Fantasy 15 may not be anyone’s favorite or first pick, but it will undoubtedly scratch that Sand Land itch if you enjoyed it for its unique bonding experiences and story!
2Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Another obvious pick isDragon Ball Z: Kakarot, a Dragon Ball JRPG that lets you sink your teeth into the events that transpire during Dragon Ball Z, paired with an exciting combat system, stunning visuals, and all the characters you know and love from the show.
Much like Dragon Quest 11, if you love Akira Toriyama’s artwork and personality in Sand Land, then Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is another clear choice and recommendation, even if it doesn’t play like it in the slightest.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot also received extensive post-launch supportand has received tons of DLC and quality-of-life changes that make it even better to jump in and experience now than ever before. So don’t sleep on it if you haven’t played it yet!
Mad Max
Lastly, we have Mad Max, an odd pick in comparison to the others, but it absolutely belongs on this list. Trust us. If the vehicular combat and exploration of Sand Land have you begging for another game like it, then look no further than 2015’s Mad Max.
Driving across the open and vast desert,defeating baddies with your customized vehicle,and tackling side quests along the way are all present in Mad Max, which is also one of the many draws to Sand Land.
While its story and overall characters struggle quite a bit to find their footing, the gameplay and exploration more than makeup for it. If you loved these aspects of Sand Land, play Mad Max immediately!
