Batman: Arkham City is without a doubt one of the most anticipated games of this year. After the great reception given to Batman: Arkham Asylum, it should come as no surprise that scores of fans are clamoring for a sequel. At long last, the exact date they’ll be able to get their hands on this possible candidate for game of the year has been revealed: October 18th in North America.

Yes, you can finally start beating up psychotic clowns and random thugs while exploring the grim and gritty Arkham City this Fall. Australian gamers get the game on the 19th, while European players have to wait until October 21st. The game is expected to improve on its award-winning predecessor in every way, promising an environment at least five times larger than in Arkham Asylum, and a focused single player experience.

In addition to the definite release date, a few new screens have been released as well. We have the satisfying picture above of Batman about to punch out a psychotic clown that isn’t the Joker. Then we have this one of Batman dangling above a pit of ridiculously-hot magma. How and why Batman got there can only be guessed, but it definitely looks to be a very tense moment in the game. Whether it can top Batman crawling through Killer Croc’s lair from the previous game remains to be seen.

The other new picture shows off the steel mill, which has been seen in a few other screens already. The significance of the mill hasn’t been explained just yet, but it’s safe to say it’ll play a fairly large part in the game. If the nearby building that looks like a fun-house is any indication, perhaps Batman’s archenemy the Joker will be behind the events that take place here.

With the promise of everything being bigger and better, Arkham City has a lot to live up to. And while the lack of multiplayer may be a disappointment to some, our recent eyes-on demo suggests that the game has every chance of being just as good as Arkham Asylum… and maybe even better.

Are you ready for Arkham City this October? Is the lack of multiplayer a problem for you? What roles do you think the multiple villains will play?

Batman: Arkham City releases October 18, 2011, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.