Some people watching the videogames industry say that 2008 was not a great year, certainly not on par with 2007 and its late year releases of Portal, BioShock and Call of Duty: Modern War. And to some, 2009 seems even bleaker, with less than usual high profile titles announced and with an outlook threatened by the world wide economic crisis.

Still, there's a lot to look forward in 2009 when it comes to gaming, whether you're playing on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, the PC or a handheld. And in articles entitled “Coming in 2009,” we'll look at some of the games that will brighten our playing time this year. It's only safe to make predictions for the next few years, so some games mentioned here might not come in 2009 or in 2010. Or maybe never (think Duke Nukem).

Empire: Total War is the big release of the beginning of the year on the PC. The reasons are rather simple: Creative Assembly, the developer, has been creating strategy titles using the Total War moniker for quite a while now. Empire is the fifth game in the series, not counting expansion packs, and each new iteration has brought on a bigger scope, better Artificial Intelligence, more complex tactical battles and a more in depth historical background for the games.

Unlike Medieval 2: Total War, which revisited the Middle Ages, Empire is moving forward in history, aiming to create a simulation of the way the XVIII and the XIX centuries handled nation building, diplomacy and, of course, warfare. The game aims to improve rather than to totally innovate. The strategic map now encompasses part of the Americas and a good chunk of the Indian subcontinent, while the diplomacy engine has been re-built to show how shifting alliances influenced the security situation.

A big addition is that of naval battles, which will be governed by wholly different rules compared to land clashes. Players will need to learn to target broadsides, catch the wind and board enemy vessels in addition to coming to terms with the rather complicated rules of warfare on land, which now favor gunpowder weapons and rigid formations.

Creative Assembly has also developed a new video engine for the game and judging by what we've seen until now, it looks really gorgeous. The developer also has time to add an extra coat of polish to Empire, as the title has been pushed back to early March.

The title could still present some weaknesses, such as a weak computer opponent and little respect for historical accuracy, but this is unlikely to happen. Those who like a good, complex, beautiful and engaging history based strategy game should really consider picking up Empire: Total War.