Details on sequel to Batman Arkham Asylum videogame

If you’re a Batman fan and a gamer, you probably played through the excellent BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM and immediately craved more.

You may have to wait another year for it, but a sequel is coming. The follow up (due Fall 2011) is called ARKHAM CITY, and the new issue of Game Informer magazine has some specifics in its 12-page article. For starters, if you’re wondering how the follow-up would allow you access to more of Arkham Asylum’s grounds (which were almost entirely covered in the first game), don’t worry — the sequel takes a page right out of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK.

In ARKHAM CITY (set a year later), the Mayor has walled off a section of Gotham City slums and dumped in the criminals from Arkham and Blackgate Prison. A psychiatrist named Hugo Strange is purportedly in charge, but the inmates are basically ruling the lawless streets inside the “facility”.

Principal villains include Joker and Two-Face (and their goon-gangs), plus the Riddler, Zsasz, Harley Quinn, and surely many others from Batman’s colorful gallery of rogues. The Dark Knight heads over the wall in an attempt to rescue Catwoman, who has been put on “trial” by Two-Face.

GI confirms that actors Mark Hamill, Kevin Conroy and Arleen Sorkin will be returning to voice their respective characters (Joker, Bats and Harley) they perfected on the animated series. Pick up the mag for lots of purty pictures and details of gameplay.