Microsoft and Epic announce that "RAAM's Shadow" will expand Gears of War 3 this December

Microsoft and Epic Games must be pretty happy with the success that Gears of War 3 has found at retail so far, but it's no time to lie down on the job. Today, the two companies announced that "RAAM's Shadow," the new campaign expansion, will launch on Dec. 13 of this year at a price of 1200 Microsoft Points.

"RAAM's Shadow" is expected to add more than three hours of gameplay (which doesn't sound like a lot, but keep in mind the genre) set in a storyline that takes place ahead of the very first Gears of War. There also will be six new multiplayer characters, the Chocolate Weapon Set and the opportunity to earn an additional 250 gamerscore. That actually doesn't strike me as a bad value, if you're really into the series.

Apparently, fans are inclined to agree. Or at the very least, they're inclined to want more Gears.

"When we announced the Gears 3 Season Pass, we immediately started getting hundreds of questions from fans about what the game add-ons would be," said Epic Games Design Director Cliff Bleszinksi. "We're really excited to be lifting the curtain on the first two releases, first with the 'Horde Command Pack' and now with 'RAAM's Shadow,' which gives fans a new perspective on the Gears universe and is also the biggest DLC release we've ever made."

So, just what events does "RAAM's Shadow" cover? According to the press release Microsoft issued earlier today, it drops players intot he events of Sera post-Emergence Day, as Zeta Squad is enlisted to evacuate Ilima City and protect the citizens against a Locust Kryll storm. Players will go up against the infamous Locust leader from Gears of War, General RAAM (hey, do you suppose that's where the expansion pack got its name from?!). The team responsible for that is led by Michael Barrick (from the comics) and familiar faces such as Lt. Minh Young Kim (Gears of War) and Tai Kaliso (Gears of War 2). There's also a new female being tossed into the mix, Alicia Valera.

One interesting thing the press release also mentioned is that players will be able to play as RAAM himself. If you've ever wanted to storm the human stronghold from his perspective (I'm sure someone has), now is your chance.

"RAAM's imposing size and strength, along with his Kryll shield, make him one of the most powerful and daunting foes in the Gears universe," said Bleszinski. "We think fans are going to have a blast unleashing hell upon the poor humans for the first time in a campaign setting."

On this, the occasion of the imminent birthday of "RAAM's Shadow," Microsoft stressed that you can purchase a Gears of War 3 season pass for 2400 Microsoft Points. You can get a discount on the first four game add-ons and stuff. It sounds like "RAAM's Shadow" is only the beginning...

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Staff article by Jason Venter (October 20, 2011) Jason Venter has been playing games for 30 years, since discovering the Apple IIe version of Mario Bros. in his elementary school days. Now he writes about them, here at HonestGamers and also at other sites that agree to pay him for his words.