The Pokemon franchise has introduced several experimental mechanics throughout the years and has tried to one-up itself time and time again. But sometimes, fans take it upon themselves to tweak and upgrade the games they've grown up on by creating their own conceptualized, unique titles.
One such game is Pokemon Insurgence, which introduces players to an all-new adventure in the Torren Region. With new Pokemon variants, difficulty levels, and an online presence, Pokemon Insurgence takes the classic Pokemon experience and gives it a whole new life — one filled with improved mechanics, cults who worship Legendary Pokemon, and never-before-seen storylines. For fans looking to invest in a new journey, here are some things to know about Pokemon Insurgence before beginning.
Updated August 5, 2022, by Jerrad Wyche: These days, Pokemon fever can feel like a year-long event as the series sees the release of both new games and trading card sets month after month. With the release of the 9th generation of games, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, set to release in late 2022, many fans are trying to find ways to kill time until they come out. Fan-made games like Pokemon Insurgence that see timely updates can do the job in this respect, so fans should know what exactly these projects have to offer.
18 The Rivals
A Pokemon game can be heavily judged on whether or not the player's rival is written and implemented well into the game's story. Pokemon Insurgence players will face off with two rivals named Damian and Nora. At the beginning of the game, Damian is revealed to be the eventual best friend of the player.
Nora, on the other hand, is a true rival and she often parallels the player's journey through the region known as Torren. She also happens to be the one who explains the concept of Pixie Pokemon to the player character, one of the many interesting additions in Pokemon Insurgence.
17 Mystery Gift Pokemon
Obtaining presents from the Mystery Gift feature in Pokemon games may require an internet connection. It turns out though that it doesn't always require a Nintendo console. At least not for those who are playing Pokemon Insurgence, anyway.
Players who are interested in getting some extra items and Pokemon need only head to Pokemon Insurgence's wiki page and scroll to the Mystery Gift page. There, they'll find a list of all the previous gifts and a breakdown of each gifted Pokemon's details. The most recent gift was a Shiny Togepi in celebration of Pride Month in July of 2022.
16 Kanto Starters Reimagined
When players start Pokemon Insurgence they'll be thrived to find out that the three original starting Pokemon from Pokemon Red & Blue are the choices for starter Pokemon in this fan-made project. That said, there is one big alteration that may take a bit of getting used to.
The difference is that they don't stick to the normal Fire, Water, and Grass-types they've been known for. Delta Bulbasaur's evolutionary line is Fairy and Psychic dual-type, Delta Charmander becomes Ghost and Dragon dual-type, and, lastly, Delta Squirtle trades its water tactics for Dark and Fighting-types.
15 Cults
In other Pokemon games, players are often tasked with dealing with odd groups of people who view Pokemon in a certain light. In Pokemon Insurgence, there are cults that worship legendary creatures and will do anything in their power to get what they want.
Unlike other Pokemon games, Insurgence isn't afraid to have a story that involves violence and killings; activities that cults in the game are more than capable of pulling off. They tend to use human sacrifices in an attempt to summon the legendary Pokemon they worship.
14 A New Held Type: Armors
There are a lot of new and interesting mechanics present in Pokemon Insurgence. One of the most curious (and often overlooked) is the ability to purchase, find, or equip specialized "armors" to a specific Pokemon. These armors are used as held items and usually boost the defense and special defense of the user by a large amount, granting them a special "armored form." While there are only six of these armors in the game (and only apply to particular Pokemon), it's hard to deny how useful they are.
It's also important to note that once the correct armor is held by the matching user, that armor cannot be "knocked away" as a traditional item would, and even protects against moves like Switcheroo and Knock Off. Currently, armor is available for Tyranitar, Leavanny, Flygon, Zekrom, Delta Volcarona, and Mewtwo.
13 Use HMs As Items, Not Moves
One of the most frustrating things about the original Pokemon releases is HMs. These specialized moves had to be taught to Pokemon in order to overcome some of the obstacles within the game, which were used to help keep players away from certain areas before they were ready.
Later editions of Pokemon have "solved this problem" by doing away with HMs as a progression requirement, meaning players didn't have to dedicate one of their poor Pokemon as an HM tool, designed only to use the moves when needed. Pokemon Insurgence features an HM system but, thankfully, doesn't force players to teach HM moves to their Pokemon. Instead, HM items allow players to use HMs directly.
12 Online Trading System
Trading used to be an absolute chore in the Pokemon franchise. The orignal releases forced players to trade their Pokemon through the use of a specialized accessory called a Link Cable, and players that wanted to trade with one another would have to physically reside in the same area. It wasn't until Generation 6 that players could freely trade their creatures online and the latest iterations of the franchise make trading a breeze.
Thankfully, Pokemon Insurgence recognized the desire for players to trade online as well, by adding full support for it within the game. With specialized Delta Pokemon and new Mega Evolutions, it's even more useful to trade with friends and other players.
11 An Extensive Endgame
Endgame content has always been a fan-favorite part of the Pokemon franchise. From the first time that players ever met Mewtwo, to hunting down all the Ultra Beasts, there have been some pretty amazing moments at the end of Pokemon's games.
Pokemon Insurgence hopes to continue this tradition by offering a robust amount of post-game content, including 13 additional quests that will challenge players. Some of these quests are recommended for teams of Pokemon that are level 95-100 minimum.
10 A Whole New Region
Pokemon Insurgence introduces the Torren Region, equipped with its own league, the Torren League. While the Gym Leaders retain the classic type-based themes for their teams, the Elite Four instead center their teams around specific moves: Baton Pass, Sandstorm, Hail, and Trick Room, respectively.
There are 15 cities/towns and 13 routes for players to explore, with their journey beginning in their hometown, Telnor Town. Here, the player meets the region's professor, Professor Sylvan, and one of their rivals, Damian. Their other rival, Nora, is met later in the game.
9 Character Customization Is Back
A popular mechanic introduced in Generation VI, Pokemon Insurgence allows players to customize their avatars. At the start of the game, players are prompted to pick between three avatars with varying hair colors and complexions.
The game does, however, still stick to the "boy" or "girl" gendered options. Later on, as the player continues, they will have the opportunity to change their clothing and hair. These can be changed at Pokemon Centers in any of the larger cities.
8 Darker Themes And Plots
Unlike mainline Pokemon games, Pokemon Insurgence involves heavier themes and grants players the choice of a Lighter or Darker mode. Lighter features no character deaths and removes certain plot points, while Darker includes all deaths, harsher language, a non-censored storyline, and so on.
To set the tone the game opens with the player awakening at the Cult of Darkrai base. Cults play a major role in the game, each worshipping a different Legendary Pokemon. With violence, human sacrifices, and questionable morals, their presence in the game strays far from the comedic Pokemon villains seen in other games.
7 Delta Pokemon
Delta Pokemon are unique to the fangame. These Pokemon's type and appearance differ from their original counterparts. Reminiscent of regional variants, the lore behind these Pokemon was the idea of scientifically modifying them to make them "perfect." Delta Pokemon each have their own shiny variants as well.
The player has the choice between three Delta Pokemon as their starter, along with a regular Eevee: Delta Bulbasaur (Fairy/Psychic), Delta Charmander (Ghost/Dragon), and Delta Squirtle (Dark/Fighting). More Delta Pokemon can be found and caught along the player's adventure, with nearly 200 available in the game.
6 New Mega Evolutions
A beloved feature of the Pokemon franchise, Mega Evolutions are included in Pokemon Insurgence as well. Like with their appearance in other games, players are restricted to Mega Evolving their Pokemon on the basis that they have the Pokemon's respective Mega Stone, and it can only Mega Evolve once per battle.
While the game includes all existing Mega Evolutions, Pokemon Insurgence introduces new Megas for some well-deserving fan favorites. This includes Flygon, the Generation II starters, Milotic, Froslass, and even a few Delta Pokemon.
5 Unique Pokemon Moves
New moves are also introduced in this game, with a total of 26 of them. Some moves are strictly signature, such as Crystal Rush which is exclusive to Delta Metagross (Ruin).
Conversely, one unique option that is available to all Pokemon is Custom Move, which can have its name and typing modified by the player. Including new and returning moves, there are a total of 130 TMs for the player to collect.
4 Your Favorites Are Still Available
Fans who wish to embark on a new Pokemon journey with their favorite partners are in luck. Pokemon Insurgence includes all Pokemon from Generation I to Generation VI. With the inclusion of Delta Pokemon and new forms, the Torren Pokedex goes all the way up to 925. Pokemon Insurgence's Pokedex is quite extensive and should be a challenge to complete.
To acquire Pokemon that are only obtainable by trade-based Evolution, the online possibilities of Pokemon Insurgence allow trading and interacting with friends. Alternatively, an NPC (referred to as the Witchdoctor) will enable these Pokemon to evolve. The downside of this method, however, is that their friendliness goes down upon evolving.
3 Different Challenge Modes
Popular amongst Pokemon fans are different custom challenge modes. Rather than making them loose guidelines, Pokemon Insurgence included them as selectable options, making the rules more concrete. Challenge Mode examples include Nuzlocke, which restricts players to depositing any fainted Pokemon until the play runs out of usable ones, and Randomized, which randomizes all Pokemon (trainer-owned and wild), gifts, eggs, NPC-given items, and items found on the ground.
Some of the modes can be combined with one another, and all mode selections must be made at the start of the game. Other modes include Egg Challenge, Solo Run, Mystery Challenge, Non-Technical Challenge, PP Challenge, Bravery Challenge, Wonder Challenge, and Ironman Challenge.
2 Secret Base Features
Reminiscent of the gimmick introduced in Generation III, in Pokemon Insurgence, players can create their own Secret Base that they can spend time customizing and upgrading. They may choose between several base themes, which range from Evil Base and Forest to Frost Castle and Mossy Ruins.
Unlike Secret Bases in other games, players can fill their Secret Base in Pokemon Insurgence with useful NPCs. These include a Daycare Agent (who has access to the daycare in Metchi Town and can bring the player their eggs), a Move Deleter, Move Relearner, a Nurse, and an IV Changer.
1 Difficulty Levels
Fans have often lamented about Pokemon games being too easy. As such, Pokemon Insurgence includes three different difficulties to best suit a player's desired gameplay experience: Easy, Normal, and Hard.
With Normal as the default, Easy and Hard are set in relation to the average Pokemon game. For example, trainers have fewer Pokemon and decreased levels for major battles in Easy, while in Hard, the player has level caps they cannot surpass for major battles and enemy Pokemon have increased levels.