2008 is closing with a whimper of gaming news, rather than a bang--which makes it the perfect time to look ahead to next year.

Last week we examined a good number of games hitting the PC platform in 2009. Today brings the second installment.

As with the first list, most of the games are squarely inked on the 2009 calendar. However, we have included a few titles with less firm release windows. I bet you can guess at least one.

No matter the eventual shipping dates, there is a lot of gaming to digest ahead of this year's surprises. Read on for another blast of upcoming titles.

Wolfenstein
Raven Software, id Software, Pi Studios
PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
2009

We got our first look at Wolfenstein at last year's QuakeCon, and everything seemed in order. Nazis, guns, supernatural powers--expect all of the standard Wolfenstein trappings, along with a new Veil mechanic, which allows hero B.J. Blazkowicz to use various special powers.

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Team Fortress 2 DLC
Valve Software
PC, Xbox 360
2009

We're still waiting on the rest of those class updates, and according to Valve, the Scout is on-deck for the next treatment. No doubt we'll also see some new maps--and, hopefully, the much-needed release of DLC on the Xbox 360 version.

Left 4 Dead DLC
Valve Software
PC, Xbox 360
2009

Along with Team Fortress 2, Valve's zombie shooter provided some of the best PC multiplayer gaming of 2008--which is why we're looking forward to the content updates nearly as much as any other full game. New scenarios will be an obvious boost to the server cycle, and Versus support for Dead Air and Death Toll will make for a welcome addition.

Velvet Assassin
Replay Studios
PC, Xbox 360
Early 2009

Formerly known as Sabotage, Velvet Assassin is a stealth-based World War II title inspired by actual British spy Violette Szabo. This one promises to buck the action-packed WWII trend and provide a stylish, unique atmosphere in which to dispatch Nazis.

Sins of a Solar Empire: Entrenchment
Ironclad/Stardock
PC
January 2009

The first of three micro-expansions to last year's cult strategy hit Sins of a Solar Empire will help PC gamers ring in the new year. Entrenchment promises to be self-descriptive, adding starbases that will allow players to more easily defend planets.

Just Cause 2
Avalanche Studios
PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Early 2009

The over-the-top, open-world action series Just Cause is continued in this sequel. According to reports, the AI has been greatly improved over the original, while the setting has been shifted to a fictional island in Southeast Asia.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
Blizzard Entertainment
PC
2009?

2008 brought the big news that StarCraft II wouldn't be StarCraft II at all, but rather a trilogy of games, each centering around one of the series' three races. While release dates are still up in the air, we wouldn't be surprised to finally have our hands on the first Terran-centric installment--or at least the multiplayer beta--by late 2009.

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