The Dracula franchise has lain dormant for several years, probably in a creepy old coffin, but it's due to revive later this year with the release of Dracula 3 from Kheops Studios.

Following in the footsteps of Resurrection and The Last Sanctuary, the new game is considered a continuation of the Dracula series, though at first glance the new title seems to share only a loose connection with its predecessors. In the previous games, players were cast in the role of Jonathan Harker and pitted against the schemes of Count Dracula, who had an unhealthy obsession with Harker's wife, Mina.

In Dracula 3, players assume the role of Monsignor Arno Moriano, the devil's advocate in a canonization process who travels to Transylvania in the first half of the 20th century to examine the stigmata found on a beatification candidate. He quickly discovers that the marks on the dead woman are not divine, and the local townspeople believe them to be Count Dracula's "seal", so the bishop decides to conduct his own investigation to finally settle the question of the vampire's existence.

The new game marks the first time Kheops has been involved in the series, but the studio's extensive experience with first-person, point-and-click titles should allow for a smooth transition.

A release of Christmas 2007 is currently being targeted, and MC2 will be publishing the game in North America.