Batman recommitted to Arkham Asylum

[UPDATE] Full trailer now available. Original story is below.

After several lackluster attempts like 2005's Batman Begins, DC Comics' iconic caped crusader finally got his game with this August's critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum. The Rocksteady-developed action game let players step into Bruce Wayne's nocturnal flying mammal suit in order to quell a Joker-fueled uprising that had criminally insane inmates running Arkham Asylum.

Gamers who finished that title probably noticed a loose end or two in the plot just begging for a sequel. Just such a follow-up was confirmed in a minute-long teaser trailer (now viewable above) at tonight's VGAs.

The spot, which was greeted by a hearty round of applause from the audience, starts with a camera panning through crime-ridden city streets and then inside a building with a twisted carnival or fun-house atmosphere. The Joker's blood-chilling cackle is heard as the camera pans up on to the second floor and to a man sitting in a large leather chair watching the city erupt in flames outside his window. The distinctive silhouette of the Joker's right-hand woman, Harley Quinn, leans over to give him a peck on the cheek as the camera circles the room to show the wiry madman gleefully insane as ever, but battered and in the middle of receiving a blood transfusion.

As the Joker collects himself, the Dark Knight's iconic bat symbol shows up onscreen and begins to crack and crumble. The logos for WB Games, DC Comics, and Rocksteady flash on the screen, suggesting that the studio behind the original hit is once again handling development duties. However, the lack of an Eidos or Square Enix logo indicates that Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment may be publishing it directly. (WBIE parent Time Warner owns DC comics and all its properties.)

The trailer ends with a plug for the official Web site, arkhamhasmoved.com. No mention of platforms or a release window was made in the trailer.