Nine Games to Look For in 2009

The San Francisco Chronicle has whipped up short previews of nine highly anticipated video games slated for release in 2009. The two we care about:
Alpha Protocol (Summer. For PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3): In this role-playing game, which takes place in a modern-day espionage setting, you mold CIA agent Michael Thorton into the spy you've always wanted to be. Will you be the savvy James Bond, operative-on-the run Jason Bourne or junior secret agent Cody Banks?

Dragon Age: Origins (March for PC; November for Xbox 360, PS3): BioWare returns to its origins with a high fantasy role-playing game. Although without the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, Dragon Age is the "spiritual successor" to Baldur's Gate, the decade-old classic. Mixing old-school storytelling and party-based adventuring with new-school visuals spells magic.