Batman: Arkham Asylum raised the bar to an astronomical height for comic book superhero games back in 2009, and in the two years since it did the Dark Knight the justice he so richly deserved, nothing else has come close to emulating its perfectly pitched atmosphere, simple yet sophisticated combat and overall brilliance.

Until now that is... Batman: Arkham City takes Arkham Asylum and expands it in every direction, with a bigger chunk of Gotham to explore, more villains to bring down, a broader combat arsenal for Batman and the introduction of Catwoman and Robin.

We took some time out at Gamescom to talk all things Arkham City with the game's Lead Narrative Designer, Paul Crocker, grilling him to find out more about the Challenge Rooms, the menagerie of diabolical criminals and how characters like the Riddler and Bane fit into the story this time around.

The Dark Knight returns in Batman: Arkham City on October 18th in North America and October 21st in Europe.