Castlevania: Lords of Shadow DLC detailed

The ending of October's Castlevania: Lords of Shadow suggests a new direction for Konami's gothic action franchise, and gamers may soon get a peek at what else the publisher has in store for the Belmont saga. Konami today detailed its first downloadable content for Lords of Shadow, saying it would launch a pair of add-ons early next year.

The first add-on, Reverie, sees players in the guise of Gabriel Belmont again, dealing with the consequences of slaying the vampire queen Carmilla. While Carmilla is gone, an evil she had previously kept under control has been unleashed and needs to be dealt with in the DLC.

The second add-on, Resurrection, takes place immediately after the end of Lords of Shadow. Konami has said the DLC will be larger in scope than Reverie, featuring a climactic battle with "a very notorious enemy" that will shed light on the original game's ending.

Developed by Spain-based Mercury Steam under Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima's supervision, Lords of Shadow is set in the year 1047 and follows Gabriel Belmont as he pursues pieces of an artifact that can bring the dead back to life, while battling nefarious underworld creatures and other mythical monsters. The game represents a departure for the series, emphasizing puzzles as well as action gameplay in a 3D environment.

The Reverie add-on is set for a February 2011 debut, with Resurrection to follow in April. For more on the base game, check out GameSpot's review of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.