The crew at Codemasters reveal a new project currently in development. They're calling it Damnation and are making it for PC and next-gen consoles. Damnation actually started out as a Unreal Tournament 2004 mod, but has now been given a chance to shine as a full retail release.

Blue Omega Entertainment, the creators of Damnation, have done more than just slapped on a new "paint job." The game runs on Epic's Unreal Engine 3 and is being described as an effort to evolve the shooter genre. It will feature "unique and exhilarating combination of fluid action and combat, Damnation will feature huge, open environments, frenetic combat, daredevil acrobatics and high-octane vehicle-based stunts."

Well let's hope so.

“We really wanted to do a Western game that leveraged the power of Epic’s Unreal 3 technology,” says Executive Producer Richard Gilbert, “but we found the purely historical setting far too limiting for the design we had in mind. By allowing technology to advance in some areas, but remain more primitive in others due to the ravages of a protracted war, we were able to create a fantastic Steampunk-style industrialized Old West worthy of Jules Verne. Throw in some American Indian mysticism in the form of Spirit Powers (for instance you can possess other people with the Spirit Vision ability), martial arts acrobatics learned from the Chinese Laborers who laid railroad tracks across the West, a really diverse band of Outlaws as the central characters, and a kick-ass story arc to propel the action forward, and even Artemus Gordon would be singing ‘Can’t Touch This.’”

Another interesting facet is that the each level in the game will take up to three hours to complete... well, that's what says in the press release anyway. You may also check out the first screenshots from the game right here.

Damnation is scheduled to launch during Winter 2008.