Batman Arkham Asylum (CITY) 2.

Release Date: Q3 2011

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Batman: Arkham City builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of Batman: Arkham Asylum, sending players soaring into Arkham City, the new maximum security home for all of Gotham City's thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds.

Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, this highly anticipated sequel introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight.

The latest issue of Game Informer magazine has revealed some new details about Batman: Arkham City, the sequel to last year's hit title from UK-based developer Rocksteady. The game is currently set for release next fall for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. 

The story for Arkham City takes place one year after the events of Arkham Asylum. The warden from the first game, Quincy Sharp, is now mayor of Gotham City, and he purchased a large portion of the city's slums to build a new criminal facility. "Arkham City," as it is called, houses all the insane prisoners previously found on the asylum before Joker left it in ruins. Psychiatrist Hugo Strange is now heading the new facility, and the only rule the prisoners are given is not to escape, leaving them to fend for themselves inside the guarded walls within the city. 

Die-hard fans of the first title will be relieved to know Rocksteady isn't going to mash together a quick sequel with a few new villains while recycling a number of art assets.

Two-Face is confirmed for Arkham City, and is battling Joker and other key villains as they recruit inmates to join their respective gangs. Catwoman, meanwhile, will play Batman's love interest, and will team up with him throughout the game. Is she friend or foe? It's unclear what Catwoman's motives really are.

Most of Batman's weapons and gadgets from the first game will return for the sequel, and he'll actually start the game with them all. Those weapons can receive further upgrades. New gadgets include a Bat Claw that can fetch items too far away and a broadcast analyzer to track transmissions.

"We want to top everything that we did in the last game," director Sefton Hill told the magazine. "We didn't want to do an Arkham Asylum 1.5. We want to make the same jump we made from nothing to Arkham, We want to make that same jump again for Arkham City – the same level of ambition."

The combat will also see several new additions, including simultaneous counters, gadget incorporation (such as spraying explosive gel on enemies), and projectile counters from inmates that throw things at you from afar.

Arkham City will have many side-quests involving key characters, harder, more advanced Riddler trophies that involve puzzle solving, and more varied enemy types. The Batman issue of Game Informer should be hitting newsstands soon. Check it out for more details...