Pokémon Insurgence Review: 5 Reasons to Download

Are there enough Pokemon games in the world? There are currently 122 official Pokemon games in existence, primarily by developer Game Freak and published by The Pokemon Company and Nintendo. They began in 1996 with Pokemon Red and Blue and have continued for nine generations of games. The latest release, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, was in late 2022. Surely, there will be another game soon enough, as, despite its age, Pokemon is as popular as ever. Did you know it’s so popular that the fans have taken to creating their own games? 

Fans have been creating their own Pokemon games for almost two decades now. This process has gotten easier over time as there are more models to follow and more programs, like RPG Maker, specifically tailored for creating Pokemon-type games. These games aren’t exactly legal, and some are condemned by Nintendo by the company for copyright infringement. That doesn’t mean these games aren’t creative, fun, and very playable. 

What is Pokemon Insurgence?

One of the best, if not the best, of these games is Pokemon Insurgence. It balances everything other Pokemon games do well within a serious story with customizable difficulty settings. The game is so good that it actually feels like one of the main Pokemon games and is widely played by Pokemon fans. 

Pokemon Insurgence is a 2017 fangame made by developer TheSuzerain using Pokemon Essentials. This development tool has been around since 2007. It was used to create some of the most popular Pokemon fangames, including Pokemon Reborn and Pokemon Uranium. Pokemon Essentials made the process of creating RPG games similar to Pokemon much easier than without it. It received many updates since its inception, but by 2018, Nintendo had filed a copyright infringement against it, resulting in its permanent removal.

Its premier creation, though, Pokemon Insurgence, is still available for download and continues to be played today. What’s all the hype around the game? Why is it so popular? Is it worth your time? We’ll dive into Pokemon Insurgence and look at what makes it stand out as a game to download if you’re a true Pokemon fan. 

5 Reasons To Download Pokemon Insurgence

5) Exciting Region and Story

While a Pokemon game is probably judged firstly by its Pokemon, the Pokemon that appear are related to the game’s region. The region in Pokemon Insurgence is Torren, an all-new location to explore. The region includes 15 towns and cities and 13 routes, all of which will be previously unknown to players. These places are filled with new NPCs, trainers to battle, Gym Leaders, places to explore, and, of course, Pokemon to catch.

The more mature and intriguing story starts at the very beginning of the game, letting you know you’re in for something different with this game. You awake from a coma and don’t remember anything besides your name. A mysterious phantom voice is also leading you on, which is concerning, considering you soon learn that Torren is filled with dangerous cults. Once you get this game-changing setup, you move on to the classic Pokemon starting procedure. 

The adventure starts in the player’s hometown, Telnor Town. Right away, just as in other Pokemon games, you start your journey by meeting some new key characters. In Telnor Town, you meet the region’s Pokemon expert, Professor Sylvan. You also encounter Damian, one of your two rivals. 

In Torren, trainers are usually given Eevee as their starter. In the game’s story, though, Professor Syvlan offers you and your rival the choice to pick three new versions of the classic Red and Blue starters. Immediately, you have an exciting new starting place, options, and fresh versions of Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. You’ll eventually follow through the game’s journey to conquer the region and face their all-new version of the Elite Four. 

Gym Leaders in Pokemon Insurgence

• Orion
• Xavier
• East
• Harmony
• Anastasia
• Diana
• Calreath
• Adam

Along the way, you deal with the five cults that worship Legendary Pokemon. These violent cults even use human sacrifices to summon the Legendaries they worship from other worlds. The cults also perform experiments on Pokemon in their quest to create the Perfect Pokemon. These experiments have led to the creation of Delta Pokemon, variants of classic Pokemon. 

5 Cults in Pokemon Insurgence

• Perfection Cult – Kyurem
• Cult of Darkrai – Darkrai
• Abyssal Cult – Kyogre and Lugia
• Sky Cult – Rayquazza
• Infernal Cult – Groudon and Heatran

The game is extensive, with playtimes ranging over 60 hours for the main story and over 100 hours for the game and all its extras. After completing the main game and defeating the Elite Four, there are 13 additional quests to play. Some of the game’s quests require teams of Pokemon with average levels of 100. The game’s increased difficulty compared to other Pokemon games mirrors its more adult story, making for an even richer experience.  

4) A New Pokemon Species

The Delta Pokemon are essentially the new Pokemon in this title. The explanation of their existence is a part of the game’s story. There are 925 total Pokemon in the game’s Pokedex for you to encounter and catch. This list mainly consists of every Pokemon from Generation I to Generation VI. That means every Pokemon, from Weedle in Pokemon Red and Blue to Pancham in Pokemon X and Y, is there to catch and combine on a team.

On top of these beloved classics, you’ll also get 198 Delta Pokemon. These new versions of the classics look so different that they seem like a new set. Some of the Deltas also have multiple versions, such as Metagross, which has completely different Spider and Ruin versions to collect and choose from. They also have new types. Charmander, for example, starts as a dual Ghost/Dragon instead of its traditional and less versatile Fire-type. All of the Delta Types have their own Shiny variants as well!

All Delta Pokemon in Pokemon Insurgence 

3) New Mega Pokemon Evolutions

Mega Evolutions are a popular feature of Pokemon games and even play a prevalent role in multiple seasons of the anime series. They began in Generation 6 games and ended before Pokemon Sword and Shield. There are 46 Pokemon species that can Mega Evolve and 48 total Mega Evolutions that exist in that period of games. 

Mega Evolutions allow the transformation of a Pokemon into a much more powerful version of itself that also looks different. This boost in power can only be achieved with particular Pokemon as long as they hold a Mega Stone and the player holds a Key Stone. A trainer can Mega Evolve a single eligible Pokemon once per battle. The Pokemon will remain Mega Evolved until it faints or the battle ends. 

In Insurgence, players still have to follow the same rules above to Mega Evolve Pokemon. All existing Mega Evolutions are available, but there is also an entirely new set of Pokemon to Mega Evolve. 

All New Mega Evolutions in Pokemon Insurgence

2) Enhanced Online Play

Online play has become a huge part of the Pokemon franchise. When it first began, players had to connect locally to another system via a cable to perform cross-player interaction. Since then, it has become easier with the internet and the games having a well-established and streamlined online mode. Online modes usually consist of trading Pokemon, often for version exclusives or for battling to test your Pokemon’s skill and movesets.

Insurgence continues this tradition by having a fully online mode. One major difference is that accessing another player to interact with online takes more cooperation. You must register with your name when you first go online. From then on, you must travel to your secret base and access the cave inside whenever you want to go online. Once there, you will need the name of the player you want to trade or battle with. They, too, must enter your name in the same fashion at about the same time. 

Wonder Challenge

After connecting with another player, you can trade Pokemon or battle just like in previous games, but there are also a few new options. There is an extra Challenge Mode called Wonder Challenge you can select for your play-through. When this Mode is activated, you will automatically use the online trading system and randomly access others with it enabled. Then, whenever you catch a Pokemon, it is immediately traded for a random other from someone else in this Mode. This Mode adds randomization and chaos to a game with plenty of other new excitement to experience.

Capture the Flag

Insurgence also allows you to access other online player’s secret bases. While there, you can check out all the decorations they purchased, which is another fun game feature. Each secret base will also have a flag that you can capture. Collecting flags from online players is another Challenge that will earn you more rewards. 

1) Customization

The final reason you need to download Insurgence now is because it has a popular feature that exists and delights players across many modern games. Customizing your player is a sought-after feature that adds additional playtime, reasons to complete challenges, and personalization to games already rich with content and hours of gameplay.

Customization isn’t new to Pokemon games, as it began in Generation 6. The added touch of choosing a bit of what your player looks like adds a lot of enjoyment and inclusion to the game. When you start Insurgence, you can pick between Male or Female and three different-looking avatars. 

As you play through the game, there are plenty more opportunities to customize your character further. You can find clothing and hairstyle options at most Pokemon Centers in large cities. You can purchase a new hairstyle for 3000, shirts and hats each cost 2000, and pants cost 1000. 

All Hair Colors in Pokemon Insurgence

• Cyan
• Pink 
• Green 
• Blonde
• Red 
• Black 
• Brown 
• Blue 
• Purple

All Shirts in Pokemon Insurgence

• Lords Suit
• Alternate Jumpsuit
• Red Shirt
• Jumpsuit
• Yellow Shirt
• Pink Shirt
• Orange Shirt 
• Purple Shirt
• Green Shirt 
• Black Shirt 
• Blue Shirt

All Pants in Pokemon Insurgence

• Jumppants
• Blue Pants
• Red Pants 
• Green Pants 
• Gray Pants 
• Lords Pants

All Hats in Pokemon Insurgence

• Headband
• Minor’s Helmet 
• Fedora
• Poop Hat 
• Straw Hat
• Beret
• Beanie
• Younster Cap
• Cat Ears
• Devil Horns
• Silver Crown
• Golden Crown

On top of being able to customize your character, you can also customize your secret base. After passing the first gym, you can buy a secret base for 5000 in Metchi town. Secret bases are accessed by interacting with bookshelves on the top floor of PokeMalls or the bottom floor of any Pokemon Center.

Secret Bases

Pokemon bases began in Generation 3 games, where you could create one and fill it with items and decor. Insurgence continues this with base layout options, theme customizations, decor, and more. Not only can you choose the way your base looks, but you can fill it with up to 100 purchasable items. You can even customize the base flag, which players will come to capture for part of their collection Challenge. 

As a mini-side challenge, players also use the items they can equip in the base, including portals, to make it harder for players to get to their flag. While this isn’t an official Challenge in the game, it is an added possible distraction for those inclined.

Bases don’t just look pretty, though you can purchase and place NPCs that can provide various benefits. These include a Nurse who can heal Pokemon, a PikaTaxi that can transport players around the map, and many others. These add-ons make the base a fun place to visit and something you can build up to enhance your gameplay.