Batman: Arkham City Will Have An Open World And a Linear Story

The sequel to the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, will develop more of the elements that made the first game so successful with critics and gamers alike, according to Rocksteady's Sefton Hill.

Arkham Asylum was definitely one of the most surprising titles of late 2008, demonstrating that games based on comic books can work if enough development time is given to the studio responsible for it.

Now, with Arkham City being detailed a few months ago, Rocksteady's Sefton Hill has revealed that the title will be many things, and have lots of attributes, from an open world to a linear experience.

"We don't want to define Arkham City as an open world or linear experience," he said. "While the backbone is still the strong main narrative, there'll also be many character-driven sub-plots to reward gamers who explore the streets."

Side quests and collectibles will aim to develop the story, just like in the first title, which featured lots of distractions from the main story, including trophies from The Riddler, as well as audio logs detailing inmates from the Arkham Asylum containment facility.

"These optional side aspects will flesh out the story and show how many of Gotham's greatest villains have adapted to life inside a new facility. "

In the end, Batman: Arkham City will aim to incorporate all of these elements into one coherent experience featuring the Caped Crusader.

"So overall, there are elements of both a linear story and more open world adventure. I believe this combination will give the game a completely unique feel while remaining unmistakably authentic to Batman."

While the first one wasn't by far short, Hill insists that Arkham City will be "four or five times" bigger than Arkham Asylum, so that players can indulge in a thriving world with lots of interactive elements.

Batman: Arkham City is set to arrive for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in late 2011.