Batman? ..Batman you say!?

With roughly 200 days until its release, Batman Arkham City is a fair way off. But even still this is one game I couldn't be much more excited for.
The original 'Arkham Asylum' game released in 2009 and was a massive success and had everyone going crazy for a Batman game that actually did justice to the darker, broodier Batman style which has been so successfully represented in Christopher Nolen's representation of the caped crusader.

Arkham City has most of its villains announced or so it's believed, we'll be treated to squaring up to the Joker again of course, shown in the teaser trailers to be still healing from the wounds inflicted to him by Batman at the end of 'Asylum' and also the return of the ever popular Harley Quinn, this time clad in a far more street look I guess you could say. Joining Joker and Harley on team nasty are Two-Face and the mad scientist Hugo Strange along with the Riddler. Another character popping up in the mix is going to be Catwoman, it's unclear how much fighting her we'll be doing as it looks as though she'll be a playable character online so you can duo up with a friend to glide around what looks to be an absolutely stunning massive open plan Gotham City.
I can't wait to see how we'll see a return to the Riddler and his challenges, as let's be honest they can't be left out can they? And I'm more than pleased they've been confirmed for the second game, it should just be interesting to see what kind of changes will be made to the challenges mix.
I'd be stunned if more popular villain names didn't crop up in the coming months, a lot can be revealed in 200 days and I don't think the developers 'Rocksteady' are through teasing us with tasty treats just yet.
It looks as though the game has gone for a very close adaptation of 'The Dark Knight' take on Two-Face which i'm glad to see as I think the darker and more gothic the look gets with Batman, the better.
Here is a little exert about what the game story and plot will cover, it sounds immense.

The story for Arkham City takes place about one year after the events of Arkham Asylum. Quincy Sharp, former warden of Arkham Asylum has taken credit for stopping the Joker and used the notoriety to become mayor of Gotham City As neither Arkham nor Black Gate Prison are in any condition to detain inmates, Sharp buys out a large section of Gotham's slums and arms the perimeter with private military contractors from a group called Tyger in order to create "Arkham City". The prisoners are brought into Arkham City and are given free rein, as long as they do not attempt escape. To oversee the city, Sharp hires psychiatrist Hugo Strange who appears to have his own secret agenda for the city. Batman maintains a vigil over the city, worried that the situation may get out of hand. Part of the setup for "Arkham City" was contained in plans in a hidden room in Sharp's office in Arkham Asylum.

The events of the game are set in motion when Two-Face seeking to gain status among the inmates and other villains outside the city, devises a plan to publicly execute Catwoman Batman decides for both the safety of Gotham and of his past relationship with Catwoman that he must stop the execution by entering Arkham City himself.

So it sounds like we can expect a sort of 'Sona' from Prison Break (if you followed that show) style city layout which Batman is just going to be gliding around in, beating the pulp out of thugs as he goes. I was wondering how they were going to justify an enormous amount of convicts suddenly just owning Gotham, but I think it sounds like they have given it some good thought and I'm sure the story will flow pretty well. There's a lot to live up to after the success of the first game but I actually have no doubt this will deliver and I'm more than ready for it!

Rarr.