Is it just me, or is Batman: Arkham City basically the same game as Spider-Man 2?

I don't know if everyone remembers the Spider-Man 2 video game, but we had it for the GameCube. The game takes place on the island of Manhattan, and although there are story missions that advance the plot, Spider-Man can also swing freely around the streets doing good deeds for the people of New York. It's also full of secret collectibles scattered around the city, which can be collected for bragging rights. Movement and physics are heavily emphasized, and the game is unique for its amazing web-swinging controls.

Playing through Arkham City, it's impossible not to be reminded of Spider-Man 2. The open world of Arkham City is about the same size as Spider-Man's Manhattan. Both games have the same scattered collectibles. Both games have groups of thugs who take up residence around the city and serve as semi-random encounters to hold the hero's attention between quests. Both games have augmented-reality acrobatics training courses as side missions. Both games advance the character the same way, by adding points after every encounter which can be redeemed for minor upgrades. Both games have a combo-focused combat system with a "spider sense" for dodging and countering enemy attacks.

 And Batman's grapple-and-glide method of transportation, while a somewhat different experience from Spidey's web-slinging, is a fair approximation. Catwoman's pouncing and climbing is about as different from Batman's style as Batman's is from Spider-Man's. In fact, if Spider-Man were an unlockable character, he'd feel right at home in Arkham City.

I liked Spider-Man 2 very much. I sank many hours into it back in the day. I even pulled out all the stops and went for 100% completion; I think I got to 99% or so. I remember playing around and finding out that combining the rising kick attack with the web-grapply attack allowed Spider-Man to bounce off a mook, pull said mook back up to meet him, and bounce off the poor guy again ad nauseam. Good times.

Now I'm playing through Arkham City, and it's getting me nostalgic. See? Look at how nostalgic I'm getting.

I think anyone who liked Spider-Man 2 would probably like Arkham City, and vice-versa.