IGN went hands-on with Sega's upcoming RPG, Sands of Destruction for the Nintendo DS, just in time for E3. The imageepoch-developed title, which released in Japan last September, features a score from composer Yasunori Mitsuda.

Sands of Destruction stars Kyrie Illunis, our unassuming hero who gets caught up in an event between opposing groups the World Annihilation Front and the World Salvation Committee. You see, the world is controlled by ferals: beastmen who have won the wars with the humans and now currently reign on top. However, there lies a device call the Destruct Code, which, when used, can cause the destruction of the world. And yet, our unassuming hero has the ability to manipulate it. The game's battle system calls for various button inputs to create combos.

Sands of Destruction is currently listed as a 2009 release.

E3 2009 is bringing about two new RPG titles from Nintendo geared specifically for Nintendo DS. First up on the block was Bleach: The 3rd Phantom, a game that blends the anime series with tactical role-playing strategy games similar to Final Fantasy Tactics or the like. The other, Sands of Destruction, is a more traditional turn-based, random battle RPG experience created by the minds that brought you Xenogears, Grandia, and Etrian Odyssey.

Akira_EX via ds.ign.com »