Nico Adventures: Isolation

***Nico Adventures: Isolation*** is an action-adventure video game developed and published by J-Games and released internationally in September 2009. It is the successor to the 2008 video game *Nico Adventures: Partners in Crime* and the fourth main entry in the *Nico Adventures* series. Initially released on the J-Flash, the game has been made available on each subsequent J-Games console.

*Isolation* follows Nico and Pico as they are imprisoned for a crime they did not commit. The pair have to break out of prison and clear their name before the authorities capture them again. Supporting characters Arch, Michael and Alistair were rumoured to have been cut from the game, but become prominent in the game's second half. Gameplay sees the player take control of Nico and, in some occasions, Pico, as they explore a variety of locations, solving puzzles and fighting enemies. The game is notable for seeing a gameplay shift midway through the story: the events taking place inside the prison are much more RPG-like, with a focus on side missions, strategy and building relationships with fellow characters. The first half also features a variety of stealth sections. The second half takes place in a large, open-world city, with a bigger focus on combat and puzzles. It is the first *Nico Adventures* game to not feature playable swords, as they are removed from combat.

J-Games announced the development of the game, along with its successor, in summer of 2008, just before *Nico Adventures: Partners in Crime* released, meaning not only were two games being produced simultaneously, but *Isolation* only had one year until it released. The popularity that J-Games had gained in 2008 meant that *Isolation* was highly anticipated and heavily promoted. Shiro Sagisu returns as composer for the game, with Adele recording the game's title theme.

*Nico Adventures: Isolation* released to mixed reviews from critics and remains a polarizing title for reviewers and fans alike. The gameplay, controls, characters, soundtrack and graphics were praised. However, criticism was drawn to the game's storyline, darker tone, setting and level design. Many felt the game felt empty, notably in the city which lacked NPCs and interactive buildings. Improvements in how the series managed stealth segments were noted, but critics stated they would have preferred a mixture of gameplay elements throughout the game, instead of two different play-styles in different halves. The game's storyline has been widely criticised as far-fetched and over-complicated, and the game's choice to lack a singular villain was a point of contention. However, the game's ambition and creativity did not go amiss. The game was nominated for Game of the Year at the 2009 Video Game Awards, ultimately losing out to J-Games' *Platinum*.

Releasing during J-Games' initial peak, *Nico Adventures: Isolation* was a commercial success, selling over 90 million copies across all platforms and becoming the best-selling entry in the series to date. However, with high sales came high criticism and the game is cited as what ended the initial J-Games peak of 2008-2009. A movie adaptation of the same name was released the following year. The game was succeeded by *Nico Adventures: Perilous Diamonds*.