[DoctorEldritch]

Hello Legion Gamers!

Good news for manga fans: Sand Land is out today:

Based on the manga by Akira Toriyama, it is an open-world RPG and a bizarre mix of Mad Max, classic anime and a dash of Borderlands for good measure. And this is not all, because right now the anime based on the manga is airing, due to finish on the the 1st of May. They look very similar and actually compliment each other:

Of course, as with any game, especially the adaptation, it has its share of critique, like an empty open world and some unpolished mechanics, but I want to say that it is a scourge of many open-world RPG games, remember Horizon Zero Dawn or RAGE 2? Still, we do not get manga adaptation as an anime+game combo, and to make it easier, here is one of the reviews:

So how about it, do we have any manga fans tempted to try it out?

[ramax]

I'm watching the anim :) I hope the game is as good!

[DoctorEldritch]

@ramax It's tricky to compare games to films and series for me, the interactive element (and how well the gameplay mechanics are implemented) that games offer is hard to compare to purely visual experience. But with works based on manga, I like animation better than games usually. Same with this one, too.

I like the anime, it really has that nostalgic vibe of Akira Toriyama. So sad he did not manage to see this one air (or the game release), RIP. The game has its share of gameplay mechanic issues (and budget limitations), but it is still a very solid gaming experience if you like open-world RPGs and if you enjoyed the anime.

And for you, it may even tap into professional interests, as you are a manga author yourself. How characters come to life in the gaming world is exciting to see, and I hope we will be getting more of manga-to-game adaptations in the future.

[ramax]

@DoctorEldritch My two favorite manga, MACROSS and SAINT SEIYA, have never had a really good adventure game, just a few SHOOT'EM'UP for the former and just average fighting games for the latter, as well as a ridiculous mobile MMO. I'd have dreamed of an MMORPG in the MACROSS universe, piloting planes that turn into robots.

[DoctorEldritch]

@ramax Hmm... I thought about it after your reply, but I don't think I have a favourite manga. I like many, but I do not have a favourite. But interestingly, almost none of those I like have a game adaptation, and in rare cases when they do, as you said, it is mostly either SHOOT'EM'UPs of Fighters, and I am not into them.

What about the reverse like with Nier Automata or Shenmue that started out as games, but later got anime or manga versions?

[ramax]

@DoctorEldritch it's rare for games to have quality adaptations. But Cyberpunk and League of legend ( Arcane ) had great anims !!! But the best screen adaptation of a video game is THE WITCHER series.

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It's not manga, but ... Dune, jurasic parc and lord of the rings have had quality video games !

[DoctorEldritch]

@ramax League of Legends for sure, and second season is coming out soon, too. But with Cyberpunk and Witcher, it is a bit more complicated than, at least, to me. League of Legends or Niear Automata were games first with no IP base before them, original works (well, complicated with LoL as it is based on Warcraft III map, but even so it is based on another game and not majorly).

But Cyberpunk and Witcher are not original games: Cyberpunk came from a series of tabletop games, and Witcher, of course, from the book series. So to me, it is not so much that "the best screen adaptation of a video game is THE WITCHER series" but rather "the best screen and game adaptation of a book is THE WITCHER". The same goes for Dune, Jurrasic Park and LotR, they all had a book original.

It is not really important, but interesting for me because in cases like this, it is a franchise you're working with, not just a game. Franchises have it easier. For a game to be turned into a film or something else it takes more, and often the results are less than impressive, like the first Mortal Kombat movies or Hitman, so I agree, a god adaptation of just a game is a rare thing indeed.

[DoctorEldritch]

@ramax Oh, actually, I know one that is not too bad. Do you know Papers, Please?

[ramax]

@DoctorEldritch Yes, I agree, they weren't video games to begin with.

Papers, Please? Oh no, not at all, I'll have a look

[DoctorEldritch]

@ramax Papers/ Please was an acclaimed game over 10 years ago. It is a small game, a short thriller about the work of a border control document check worker. The game is praised for its dystopian social commentary, similar to Beholder, for example:

But the reason I mentioned it is that it had a decent short movie made based on it in Russia back in 2018. Not ideal, but decent enough example, and all the more impressive given how short the game is.