This is not a good day to push me, Victor...

With the October release date approaching quickly, Rocksteady Studios has upped the marketing for Batman: Arkham City accordingly. The latest release in gameplay trailers features a massive confrontation between Batman and Mr. Freeze.

Batman: Arkham Asylum, released in 2009, was the winner of numerous awards including the BAFTA for Game of the Year (2010), and its critical reception - with an average of over 90% approval from reviewers - earned the game the Guinness World Record for 'Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever'. Its success can be attributed, at least partially, to a back-to-the-roots drawing upon source material and the fact that the game was written by Batman scribe Paul Dini, giving it a deeply layered appeal for longtime fans. With this reception, anticipation for this year's follow up was already high.

But today, in an interview with NowGamer, Paul Crocker (the lead narrative designer at Rocksteady) revealed that the map for City will be five times the size of Asylum's. In addition, Crocker stated that the single-player game could take about 20-25 hours to complete, unless you want to go for 100% completion: finding all cameos and 400 Riddler trophies: that could take the game past the 40-hour mark. In addtion, an expanded challenge mode allows for infinite possibilities. "If you like the combat, or if you like the Predator challenges then really, you never have to buy anoer game. Challenge mode is ere to make you a better Batman, or as it happens, a better Catwoman."

Also good news for those 3D gaming fans out there: Batman: Arkham Asylum will have the option for three different kinds of 3D viewing. First, the game will have stereoscopic 3D, so that you can play on 3D HDTV, and it will also support NVIDIA 3D Vision Tech, which will allow 3D play on a properly equipped computer hooked up to a 3D TV. And finally, for the rest of us, there will be an option for anaglyphic 3D, using 3D glasses.

The screen shots, below, show Batman in the Penguin's Iceberg Lounge: The Penguin already having been announced as one of the baddies from the game, along with Hugo Strange, the Riddler, Catwoman, and the Joker. Arkham City follows the events of Arkham Asylum, after the Joker has taken over the Asylum and the good people of Gotham have walled off a portion of Gotham City itself, turning the heart of Gotham City into a larger, more intricate, and downright scarier version of the Asylum.

Batman: Arkham City will be released on October 18 in North America and October 21 in Europe. To catch up on what happens during the year between Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, check out the Paul Dini-scripted Batman bridge comics, a 5-part series, available from DC Comics at $1.99 per issue here.

See also:

Batman: Arkham City review

Batman: Arkham City Official VG Trailer

Batman: Arkham City teaser wows the crowd

Avengers Videogame Cancelled?

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