You are on the beta version of My Abandonware. The live site is still myabandonware.com. Your favorites and ratings here are copied to the live site. Comments and other changes are not — we delete them every morning at 08:00 Paris time, when this site goes down for about an hour. Leave feedback through this link to Pastel (email required).

Search more than 30000 retro games
/ Genres / Action / Sandwarriors

Sandwarriors

DOS - 1997

SandWarriors is a fun but very obscure 3D shooter from Astros, published by Gremlin in 1997.

Although the game sports many innovations and fun gameplay, it was bogged down by poor frame rates on computers at that time (Pentium 60), and pales when compared to contemporary space shooters like Wing Commander III.

Jason D'Aprile of CD Mag says it all in his concise review: "SandWarriors tries to be something of a Wing Commander in the Egyptian desert of the future, but isn't likely to grab anyone in the way that Origin's space combat games do. And while it's not a bad title for what it is, this UK import looks and feels utterly outdated when compared to other current action-based flight sims.

The game centers around two warring factions, each worshipping a different Egyptian deity, that spend their days fighting each other for power. Aside from funny hats, desert locales and stylized Egyptian flight suits, the game doesn't really do much with its premise. Your mission commander seems more like he's from Arkansas than the Nile Basin, and the character you play sounds more like a kid from L.A than a warrior of this new Egypt.

The 24 missions included with the game are extremely difficult, as combat with multiple air and ground forces is the norm. While the game doesn't use 3D acceleration, it's still quite good looking, with well-implemented rolling terrain. One odd feature is hotkeys for specific aerial maneuvers, which are usually used when you need a special sort of evasion. There are also various low-resolution cinematic sequences throughout, and voice communications during the mission. SandWarriors isn't a particularly heinous game by any means – it's just lacking any outstanding or even interesting qualities to make it stand out on the software shelves.

Had it been released a year or two ago it might have been state of the art – today it's woefully outclassed by the competition."

Outclassed though it may be, but if you are in the mood for a challenging shooter set in a unique environment, SandWarriors is still worth a look.

Review By HOTUD

Comments and reviews

DJ 31 Aug. 2025

I remember playing the demo from one of my computer magazines. I forgot the name of it until recently. Great being able to play the full game now! To MS. DOX BOXER, I was able to get a copy of the game on CDROM from Ebay. Unfortunately, this might be one of those games that only works when you have the CD version. It seems to run flawlessly, but like you, the abandonware gave me the same hang and sound stutter. I suggest getting a copy if you can on Ebay or other such site. I was able to get mine for under ten dollars including shipping. It was CD and manual only, but that's all I need.

0
Ms. Dos Boxer 16 Feb. 2020

Got this to start in DosBox with mount d [driveletter]:\ -t cdrom and machine=vesa_oldvbe at max. resolution (800x600), but as soon as I click on "To Mission", the game hangs with a black screen and a short "stuck sound" loop.

Anyone got the game itself to work; if so how?

1

No comment nor review for this game at the moment.

Comments posted on the beta are not kept. We delete them at 08:00 Paris time and they never reach the live site. Post on myabandonware.com if you want your comment to stay.

Downloads

DOS version
Game file
United Kingdom English
34 MB

Similar games

Strike Force Harrier
4.4/5 - 10 votes
Strike Force Harrier
DOS
1986
F-22 Lightning II
4.8/5 - 38 votes
F-22 Lightning II
DOS
1996
JetFighter III
5.0/5 - 3 votes
JetFighter III
DOS
1997
Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe
4.6/5 - 19 votes
Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe
DOS
1991
Alpha Storm
4.4/5 - 24 votes
Alpha Storm
DOS
1997
Stormfighter
5.0/5 - 4 votes
Stormfighter
DOS
1996