Lesser-Known Toriyama Manga Sand Land Sees Its Day in the (Scorching) Sun with Video Game Adaptation

In an unexpected turn of events, Summer Game Fest played host to revealing a new title based on one of Akira Toriyama’s more obscure works (by his standards, anyway).

Sand Land had a brief run in Weekly Shonen Jump back in 2000, and now, Beelzebub and his crew are back in action. Set in a desolate desert world oppressed by a corrupt monarch, it stars a plucky demon who links up with the local sheriff to locate the mysterious Phantom Lake and free the populace from oppression.

Built in Unreal Engine 5, the Bandai Namco video game adaptation is loaded with the kind of high octane thrills, gigantic monsters, and electrifying one-on-one combat Toriyama has made famous over his storied career. The gameplay looks to feature a mix of unarmed bouts at the hands of the powerful Beelzebub alongside vehicular segments as the duo smash, crash, and combust everything in their path.

Toriyama is, of course, no stranger to the gaming landscape, having provided character designs for iconic franchises ranging from Dragon Quest to Chrono Trigger (and yes, Beelzebub even dons a mechsuit that evokes fond memories of our boy Robo). Those with a finger on the Bandai Namco pulse will note the timing of the game’s announcement fits nicely in with Sand Land Project, an anime adaptation first unveiled late last year.

Though we do not yet know its likely release date, the trailer confirms that Sand Land will be dropping on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam.