Bandai Namco's Sand Land takes a familiar path as it adapts popular anime and manga into video games, staying true to its source material while offering a conventional gameplay experience. While Sand Land features vehicle combat, much of the gameplay follows typical action RPG elements found in open-world sandboxes. What sets it apart is its fast-paced nature, contrasting with another 2024 title, Rise of the Ronin.

Similar to Sand Land, Rise of the Ronin is a formulaic open-world game with engaging combat, albeit focusing on challenging melee battles instead of rapid vehicle clashes. However, the abundance of activities in Rise of the Ronin encourages players to explore and savor the experience, unlike Sand Land's concentrated narrative and pace. These differences in pacing offer distinct gameplay encounters.

Sand Land's Open World Offers Breathing Room Compared to Rise of the Ronin's

While both games follow traditional open-world structures, Sand Land may seem less dense in comparison. However, the apparent sparseness of Sand Land's wastelands and forests contributes to its pacing. Apart from main and side missions, Sand Land offers limited sandbox activities like Bounties and material hunting for vehicle customization.

Sand Land shifts the focus from vast exploration to organic item gathering, bridging gaps between key story events in the game's mirrored manga quest. In contrast, Rise of the Ronin inundates players with collectibles, points of interest, and distractions, extending a 25-hour quest into over 70 hours of gameplay.

Sand Land's Story Takes Center Stage in its Open World

Viewing Sand Land's open world as 'empty' next to Rise of the Ronin may seem like a drawback, but it boasts its advantages. Rise of the Ronin's world mainly serves to lengthen the game, while Sand Land emphasizes its manga adaptation. Rise of the Ronin overflows with content outside the core story, compensating for the protagonist's limited development.

On the flip side, Sand Land spotlights its manga roots, guiding players through the main quest and showcasing compelling characters and stories. With additional elements from Akira Toriyama, Sand Land enriches the IP's multimedia presence. By prioritizing the main quest over open-world distractions, playing Sand Land feels akin to watching an animated episode.