If E3 was criticized for the lack of big game announcements, this year's Game Convention in Leipzig will certainly bring us a few surprises. For example, Konami has just announced that it's working on a brand new IP - an action adventure game named Lords of Shadow, developed by Madrid-based Mercury Steam for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, due to release in 2010. We know, there's still a long time left and in such cases delays are to be expected, but at least Konami has some great plans!

This new game will be set in Southern Europe in the Middle Ages, and the developers are already promising some beautifully-realized locales and epic battles to be held within. The player will take the role of Gabriel, who's on a one-man-journey to discover the true meaning of sacrifice, in a battle between good an evil. Yes, these are some very, very generic things, but at least it's better than nothing!

"Lords of Shadow is a momentous title for us," commented Dave Cox, executive producer and head of product planning for Konami Digital Entertainment. "Every element of the game pushes the host hardware to its limits, with Mercury Steam producing a game that has breath-taking visuals, incredible cinematic qualities, and varied and engrossing gameplay. It is truly an epic game but telling a human and emotive story. This is a title we hope will set a new standard for action-adventure titles."

Lords of Shadow is also expected to make use of a unique multi-functional weapon system called the Combat Cross. It basically means that Gabriel's favorite weapons can serve a multitude of purposes. For example, for range attacks, there is a dangerous chain that can also be used to grip enemies or, in Melee Combat, to perform stabbing attacks or defensive moves. Not really a revolutionary thing, but definitely a fun-bringer.

And knowing that Konami calls this project the "most ambitious offering from the European Product Planning department to date," we do have our reasons to be excited. However, a screenshot or some concept art would've been nice...