I haven't actually played Arkham City yet but based on what Yahtzee wrote it does sound like AC, like AA, is the experience of being Batman. This time, though, it's not necessarily in a good way.
If you read the comics, Batman
does get around by shooting grappling hooks everywhere.
And also by running, climbing on buildings, and so forth. And rarely the Batmobile too. I understand how in a video game that can get very old very fast. But it's still how Batman would function on a minute to minute basis when out fighting crime.
Ditto with tracking down the villains in their hideouts and lairs. Sure, in Arkham Asylum it was awesome because Batman was caught in a trap set by his rogue's gallery, but in Arkham City the villains were pursuing their own agenda. As Yahtzee said in the article, villains usually do their own thing while the hero stops them.
I'm a pretty hardcore comics and Batman fan, so maybe I'll still find some fun in traveling that way. Maybe Arkham City just requires a little more imagination than some other games?