Sand Land Preview - "A New World From Akira Toriyama That Transcends The Manga"

is a compelling mixture of and from the mind of Akira Toriyama. After some hands-on time with the upcoming game in a surprisingly lush new section of the huge map, developer ILCA and Bandai Namco seem prepared to honor the late author's legacy with an adventure that captures 's charm and style.

The game is based on a manga by Akira Toriyama that was initially released in 2000, five years after the final chapter of. Within its 14 chapters, a sprawling world filled with sand, bandits, and an oppressive government is introduced along with the Prince of all demons, Beelzebub. He and his demon friends are not as fearsome as their reputation when they set out on an adventure with the mysterious old man Rao. 's game does a great job of recreating the manga's story, but as the exclusive preview revealed, it's expanding on 's source material extensively.

Previous looks at have shown off exciting vehicle combat with tanks, motorcycles, and more during intense desert warfare. A free demo of was released last week, which allows players to take control of Beelzebub and his group as they explore a small patch of its colossal desert. Roaming bands of criminals and giant animals require ammo and cunning to defeat, but once players complete the first dozen or so hours of the game's story, a whole new and radically different area that wasn't in the manga presents itself: Forest Land.

In a complete 180 turn, Forest Land is effectively the opposite of Sand Land in many ways. Sand dunes are replaced with lush forests filled with winding roads, bodies of water, and, unfortunately, another dangerous army preparing for war against Sand Land. Without spoiling too much for players excited to explore Toriyama's world for themselves, the plot from the manga and the new material is filled with some surprising twists, layered characters, and exciting battles that all ooze with Toriyama's iconic style.

After unlocking dozens of new weapons and upgrades, almost nothing in the desert or forest