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Gears of War 3 falls under RAAM's Shadow December 13

Story-based DLC follows Zeta Squad evacuation of Ilima City in campaign set before original Gears of War; $15 add-on features new multiplayer characters, lets gamers play as General RAAM.

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Gears of War 3 may have been billed as the conclusion to the Xbox 360 trilogy's storyline, but Microsoft and Epic Games aren't done telling stories in its sci-fi shooter universe just yet. The pair today announced that RAAM's Shadow, a downloadable content package featuring additional campaign mode gameplay, will launch on December 13 for 1,200 Microsoft points ($15).

Who wouldn't want to be this guy? He's got it all: Power, good looks, a Kryll shield…
Who wouldn't want to be this guy? He's got it all: Power, good looks, a Kryll shield…

Billed as the biggest downloadable content package Epic Games has ever made, RAAM's Shadow is set before the events of the original Gears of War and places players in the boots of Zeta Squad as it tries to evacuate the human settlement of Ilima City in advance of a Locust Kryll storm. Fans familiar with the extended franchise will recognize Zeta leader Michael Barrick from the Gears of War comic adaptation, as well as squad members Lt. Minh Young Kim from the first game and Tai Kaliso from the first sequel. The add-on will also let gamers play as Locust boss General RAAM himself and offer another 250 achievement points to earn. Multiplayer-minded Gears fans may still be interested in the package, as it will also include six new characters for the game's multiplayer modes and the Chocolate Weapon Set.

RAAM's Shadow is the second of four add-on packs planned for Gears of War 3. The first, the Horde Command Pack, is set for release November 1 and includes three new maps, three new playable characters, and new fortification upgrades for the game's Horde mode. The Horde Command Pack costs 800 Microsoft points ($10) on its own. Gamers can also purchase the Gears of War 3 Season Pass for 2,400 Microsoft points ($30) on Xbox Live. The pass includes access to all four of the planned add-ons as soon as they are released. If purchased separately, those packs would cost players 3,600 Microsoft points ($45).

Gears of War 3 was released worldwide on September 20 and sold more than 3 million units during its first week. For more on Epic Games' third-person shooter, check out GameSpot's review of Gears of War 3.

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