Nico Adventures: Something About Us

***Nico Adventures: Something About Us*** is an action-adventure video game developed and published by J-Games. It is the thirteenth entry in the *Nico Adventures* series, serving as the successor to *Nico Adventures: Research*, and is the first game in the series to not be released on the J-Exo since 2010. The game released internationally in September 2018 on the J-Revolution, and has since been re-released on every subsequent J-Games console.

*Nico Adventures: Something About Us* follows Nico, Pico, Michael and Arch as they attempt to hide Alistair from the authorities and smuggle him out of the United States of America. This occurs after Alistair runs away with his niece from her abusive father, and Alistair's brother, and is thus wanted by the police. Gameplay severely differs from the previous entries in the series, taking a much more RPG-like approach. The player will take control of Nico or Pico as they secure routes between states, find shelter and accommodation for Alistair, fend off the police, form bonds with allies across the country and allocate resources effectively on their journey. The game is non-linear, and the player can choose to move around in any direction using whatever method they want, however not every method will work. The game's focus on combat is replaced by a focus on stealth missions. The game lacks a hub world, a much more common occurrence in the more recent games in the series. It is the last game in the series to feature Alistair, a recurring character since the first game in 2006, as his fate remains unknown by the end of the game, although it is implied he has gone into hiding.

Development of the game began alongside 3 other *Nico Adventures* games in 2016, and the game had a two-year simultaneous development. In response to negative criticism surrounding the series' more fantastical direction, Jay wanted a grittier and more raw experience for the player. As such, it is the first game in the series since *Nico Adventures: Perilous Diamonds* to feature a PEGI 16 rating in Europe, which garnered controversy. Press attention for the game was significantly higher than many of its predecessors due to the critical and commercial success of both the new J-Games console and its two new games, *Unleashed* and *City Star*. The game is the last in the series to feature Remi Gazel as its composer prior to his death. The game's theme was composed and recorded by Daft Punk.

Reception to *Nico Adventures: Something About Us* was mixed. Critics praised the game's graphics, characters, soundtrack and level design, whilst criticising its narrative, tone and gameplay. Reviewers felt the game's story was too serious of a subject matter to be dealt with in a *Nico Adventures* game and that many choices within the game felt tone deaf. Whilst the ambition of the gameplay was praised, many commented that the combination of different gameplay elements didn't work, as the game felt clunky to play and lacked a core identity. The game's visuals were praised to be the series' best, with the settings in each level being described as life-like. Critics also noted that the game's level design was well thought out, and offered the player plenty of opportunity to freely explore and play without feeling objectiveless. The game was nominated for Best Graphics at the 2018 Video Game Awards, but lost out to fellow J-Games title *Unleashed*.

Commercially, the game sold more than anticipated, seen to be aided by the success of the console in its debut year. The game sold over 20 million copies on the J-Revolution. Across all platforms, the game has sold an additional 15 million copies, bringing the total to over 35 million copies for the game, a stark improvement to *Nico Adventures: Research*. The game was met with controversy for its subject matter and rating in a series many deemed suitable for children. Thus, the game saw limited promotion in certain regions. A feature film was released in the following year. The game was succeeded by *Nico Adventures: Cloned* in 2019.