Nico Adventures: The Final Chapter

***Nico Adventures: The Final Chapter*** is an action-adventure video game developed and published by J-Games. It was released internationally in November 2020 for the J-Revolution. It is the fifteenth and final entry in the *Nico Adventures* series, serving as the successor to *Nico Adventures: Cloned*. It has since been released on each subsequent J-Games console.

*Nico Adventures: The Final Chapter* follows Nico and Pico as they plan to retire from their lives of adventure following the extermination of the Gecko Mafia in the previous game. The characters visit a variety of past locations throughout the series, only to discover they are being followed by mysterious, unearthly creatures. The pair eventually discover that Elektarah, the God of Lightning who served as the main antagonist of 2010's *Nico Adventures: Perilous Diamonds*, has awoken from his defeatist slumber to steal back Penseka, the sword he had forged and supposedly the most powerful weapon on Earth, from the brothers who had stolen it. Penseka is too powerful for the wielder to use without dying, so the brothers have to find a way to defeat Elektarah. However, after a series of unsuccessful attempts, Pico ultimately sacrifices himself and uses Penseka to kill both him and Elektarah. Gameplay sees the player take control of either Nico or Pico as they navigate open-world levels, fighting enemies, forming bonds with NPCs and solving puzzles. Games which featured unique gameplay mechanics see those mechanics return in levels from said games. The game's hub world is Yenta, the village from *Nico Adventures: Perilous Diamonds*, as the game's final act takes place there.

Development of the final game has begun 4 years prior to release, in summer 2016. Developed simultaneously alongside 3 other games, a large reason for the long development time was to ensure the large voice cast the game required (as it featured many past characters) could all record their lines. The developers also had to rebuild over a dozen pre-existing levels whilst also creating new ones. The game's campaign is the longest of the series, lasting for over 50 hours. Shiro Sagisu returns to be the game's composer, remixing a number of his own tracks, as well as those of Remi Gazel. The game is dedicated to Remi Gazel and his extensive work on the franchise between 2012 and 2018. Placebo record the game's theme, which is a cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill".

*Nico Adventures: The Final Chapter* released to positive reviews from critics. Although the game's ending divided reviewers, with some feeling Pico's sacrifice was anti-climactic, the overall narrative received acclaim for being nostalgic whilst not feeling like recycled content, and many felt the series concluded satisfyingly. The gameplay, level design, and soundtrack were all points of praise. The game's visuals were highlighted as the best in the series. Some criticism was drawn to the game's character writing, with Michael and Arch having lesser roles than anticipated by both long time fans, and critics of the season. The game was nominated for a multitude of awards at the 2020 Video Game Awards, including Best Graphics, Best Soundtrack, and Game of the Year, ultimately winning all three.

Commercially, *Nico Adventures: The Final Chapter* became the best-selling entry in the series since *Nico Adventures: Mystery*, selling over 60 million copies across all platforms, 40 million of which were on the J-Revolution. A feature film adaptation was released in 2021.