Thanks to the release of videogame magazine Game Informer (the latest issue with the Batman cover story), a few juicy details have emerged regarding story and gameplay included in next year’s Batman: Arkham City from Rocksteady Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

According to Game Informer, the story behind the creation of Arkham City goes a little something like this:

Quincy Sharp (warden of Arkham Asylum) is now running for mayor of Gotham, and most probably in an effort to make the city safer and gain popularity with the voters, he decides to buy off a section of the Gotham slums and wall it off, thus creating Arkham City.

The other reason he’s decided to extend the premises of Arkham Asylum is because that facility, as well as Black Gate Prison, are now no longer considered fit to house inmates. Now, gangs and inmates roam the streets of Arkham City (once the slums of Gotham), and it’s up to Hugo Strange (psychologist and genius-level villain) to take control of this new living space.

Meanwhile, Two-Face (who will make his appearance in Batman: Arkham City) is similarly looking to take control of the city, and plans on executing Catwoman (also appearing in the game) to gain the respect of the inmates. The other power player villain in the city, The Joker, is extremely sick, but it may just be that it wasn’t the overdose of venom (in Batman: Arkham Asylum) that got him so ill…

As far as gameplay details go, it’s been revealed that players will now be able to counter two attacks at the same time, while all gadgets earned in Batman: Arkham Asylum will be available from the start in Arkham City.

A smoke bomb gadget will also be included in the long list of tricks you’ll be able to make use of in order to combat goons and gangs, who are said to now terrorise the streets of Arkham City – when encountered these gangs are recorded in Batman’s criminal database.

While players themselves roam the city streets, there will be many more side missions and puzzles available to them than in Batman: Arkham Asylum, and this time you’ll need to find people who work for The Riddler in order to find and finish Riddler challenges.

That’s all for now – be sure to look through El33tonline’s previous coverage of Batman: Arkham City, and look forward to more details in the coming weeks and months.

Source: ArkhamCity.co.uk