Batman: Arkham Knight's world may be five-times larger than that of its predecessor, but that doesn't mean it can't tell a compelling story.

“ The intimate cat-and-mouse gameplay between the Joker and Batman really demanded it took place in the pressure cooker of the Asylum.

“ [Scarecrow’s] a great mirror for Batman, as they both use fear as a weapon of choice. There’s a dichotomy there.

Speaking to IGN at last week's EGX convention, Rocksteady marketing manager Guy Perkins talked a bit about the decision to evolve from the confined and slightly more linear gameplay we saw as part of Arkham Asylum, then why this expanded as the series went on."I think we’ve always taken pride in the stories we tell," he explained. "We try to create that very cinematic story-telling experience through the game. Obviously Asylum was the starting point for that, but the intimate cat-and-mouse gameplay between the Joker and Batman really demanded it took place in the pressure cooker of the Asylum."The narrative is still very defined, though, there’s definite acts that you clearly understand as you go through Arkham Knight. We’ve been conscious to create a rich story that’s interesting for newcomers and for fans alike. You can go off and do your side quests when you like, but it’s still a linear story in the sense that it has a beginning, middle and end."Given the events at the conclusion of Arkham City, it's a pretty safe assumption to make that Batman finds himself in a very different world now Joker is out of the picture. The flip-side of this, however, is that all of his enemies are similarly finding it easier to carry their plans out without worrying about that unknown element. Perkins explained that while the chance to create an original villain to fill this hole was exciting, it also meant an old favourite could return."Joker going was a challenge, but we left Scarecrow out of Arkham City for a reason so he’s back in as the big bad and it’s great for us to bring him back. He has so many iconic moments in the first game, to have him back as the Big Bad is really cool. He’s a great mirror for Batman, as they both use fear as a weapon of choice. There’s a dichotomy there. Then working with DC to bring the Arkham Knight to life has been amazing. We were super excited and it’s been a huge honour for us to do something this big."Batman: Arkham Knight has been a long time coming for Rocksteady, with Perkins admitting development on the conclusion to the trilogy beginning almost before Arkham City was finished. It's clear last year's Arkham Origins was never part of the original vision dreamed up by Sefton Hill and his talented team, and now as the end approaches there's a lot of mixed emotions. Considering it's been their lives for almost a decade I ask what needs to happen in order for them to walk away on a high."If people walk away thinking this is the ultimate Batman simulator, then our job is complete," he says. "We gave them Gotham City, we gave them Batman at the height of his powers and we gave them the Batmobile. I think those three elements come together to make a great game. If people go away feeling like it was awesome, we’ve done a good job."

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK News Editor. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on Twitter