Sand Land, the new open-world action-adventure based on one of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama’s lesser-known works is out now, and its surprisingly complex for an anime adaptation. Combat is a big part of Sand Land, with players taking on countless enemies in both hand-to-hand combat as main character Beelzebub or while piloting a variety of different vehicles. It might be slightly overwhelming at first, but don’t worry, we have some tips for dominating the dunes…
Don't fight as Beelzebub if you don't have to, but...
While Sand Land gives you the option of fighting most battles in or out of a vehicle, you’re almost always going to want to choose to be in the vehicle. You’re just a lot more resilient inside your tank or another ride than trying to take everything down with your fists. That said, you will have to get out of your tank for certain battles because the game makes you, or because it simply doesn’t fit in a specific area, so here are a few tips for fighting as regular ol’ Beelzebub.
Make sure to lock on
While piloting a tank or other vehicle, you can’t lock on, which is fine because the pace of vehicle battles is a bit slower. Things get a bit more frantic when fighting as Beelzebub, but thankfully, you can lock on while out of a vehicle by pressing down the right stick.
Dodge, dodge, dodge
Beelzebub is vulnerable, so stay on your toes. When you see a red flash around the enemy, push the right shoulder button to dodge.
If you’re in a vehicle like you ought to be…
Okay, enough Beelzebub tips, here’s how to lay waste while in your tank or another vehicle.
Keep your distance and circle
While your instinct may be to rush into the middle of a pack of enemies and mix it up, that’s not the best approach. All your vehicle’s weapons are ranged, which is a sign the game wants you go keep your distance and remain a moving target. Getting right in the midst of the melee is just a good way to get surrounded and overwhelmed. Furthermore, if a pack of enemies come at you, don’t double straight back – that leaves you open to their shots. Instead, keep your distance and circle around your opponents. Enemies are terrible shots when you’re moving side-to-side so you can largely avoid damage by circling.
Use your Primary weapon against vehicles, your secondary weapon against small fleshy foes
Every vehicle in the game has a primary and secondary weapon, and it’s important to know when to use them. Primary weapons do the heavy damage you’ll need to tackle other tanks, bosses, and large enemies, but they tend to be slow and less accurate. Your secondary weapon is less powerful, but you have more control over it, so you should deploy it against faster, smaller enemies like human soldiers and raptors.
Reload frequently
One of the things you really have to keep track of during combat is reloading. Reloading is slow in Sand Land and you can’t use your weapon while the loading is in process. As such, it’s a good idea to do it frequently, even if your ammo isn’t depleted, as reloading just a few shots doesn’t take as long as a full clip. You can switch between your primary and secondary weapon while loading, so a good technique is to start reloading one weapon, then switch to the other while waiting so there’s no downtime.
Your tank is usually best, but not always
Most of the time, you’re going to want to go into battle with your trusty tank as it’s the strongest and most resilient weapon in your arsenal, but don’t be afraid to switch if you have to. Enemies in annoying jumper bots are best tackled with your own jumper bot, your motorcycle will do a better job of keeping up with other motorcycles, and so on.
Don't forget about your party members' skills
It can be easy to forget about your party members as they scamper around the battlefield, but they can be quite powerful. In particular, Rao’s “Vehicular Combat” ability sees him hop into a tank for a limited time, and he’s quite a good shot (he’s particularly helpful during boss battles). Meanwhile, the “Rao’s Orders” skill allows him to boost your attack power. While party member skills will go into cooldown once they’re used, you can activate more than one at a time, so double up for extra effectiveness.
Come prepared and upgrade often
Ultimately, success largely has to do with what you do before a fight. Make sure your water is filled and you have plenty of repair kits before you head out, and it’s a good idea to always upgrade your vehicles between major missions.
And there you have it – a few pointers that should have you reducing your opponents to sand.
Sand Land is available now on PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5. You can check out Wccftech’s other Sand Land guides here.
