Pokémon Insurgence

Pokémon Insurgence is a fan-made video game based on Pokémon developed and published in 2014 by Redditor Wyatt Verchere, known online as "TheSuzerain", along with a team of programmers, artists and composers. The game takes place in the Torren region, with a darker storyline focusing on multiple cults and the mythical Pokémon Mew. Pokémon Insurgence features the return of many main series mechanics including Mega Evolution, Mystery Gift and character customisation, whilst also introducing new alternate forms of Pokémon including Delta Pokémon, which have only appeared officially in the trading card game, and armored Pokémon. Pokémon Insurgence has support for computers running Windows and Mac OS, with unofficial support on Android devices through the JoiPlay emulator.

Gaming outlets praised the game for its mature storyline, improvement of existing features, and a higher level of difficulty not seen in the main series titles. Multiple lists ranking the best fan-made Pokémon games placed Pokémon Insurgence first.

Pokémon Insurgence takes place in the non-canon Torren region, with multiple features taken from official Pokémon games, such as optional difficulty levels, character customisation,^[4], following Pokémon,^[5] 925 Pokémon species available to catch, 200 of which have "Delta" variants (which were originally seen in the Pokémon Trading Card Game),^[6] and Mystery Gifts specific to the game through internet capability.^[4] The story is darker than those of the official entries in the series, with the player surviving an assassination attempt and witnessing the death of cult members by their leader. Multiple cults are introduced, each of which worship a different Legendary Pokémon,^[7] whilst partaking in varying criminal activities such as experimenting on Pokémon and causing mass floods. The player encounters Mew early on in the story, saving the player from having their memories erased.^[8] Traditional elements from the official series are kept, such as the gym challenge,^[2] and rivals Damian and Nora.^[6] Other mechanics, such as Hidden Machines (HMs), are adapted, allowing players to use them without the requirement of taking up a Pokémon move slot.^[4]

Options for either a "dark" or "traditional" story mode, which dials down the darker elements, are available for selection at the start of the game. Genders and appearance are customisable, including later in the game. Other features and mechanics, some of which return from official entries, include secret base customisation, new and returning Mega Evolutions, online trading,^[7] and finally, Pokémon armor, which can be applied to certain Pokémon as held items, boosting specific stats and transforming them into an armored form dependent on the specific armor that has been equipped.^[6]

Canadian Redditor and game developer Wyatt Verchere, known online under the pseudonym "TheSuzerain", began developing Pokémon Insurgence after completing his work on previous fan made Pokémon titles Pokémon Zeta and Pokémon Omicron.^[2] Verchere brought in assistance to create a development team, consisting of artists EchoTheThird and ZeroBreaker, music director MrSinger186 in 2013, who was later replaced by Pulvite in 2017, and programmer Deukhoofd.^[3] Verchere received story ideas from Redditors, eventually forming the basis of a multi-cult regime, deliberately designed to be darker than villainous teams from main series entries, such as Team Rocket. Delta Pokémon, which had not been seen in the main franchise since their appearance in the Pokémon TCG, were included in Pokémon Insurgence after being well-received, and fitting nicely with the darker story of the game.^[2] Verchere's team used RPG Maker, which allowed for development without requiring an emulator.^[2][3]

A demo was announced in November 2014,^[9][10] along with 70 preliminary screenshots.^[11] The game released as a beta on 20 December 2014.^[1][5] An unsupported method of playing the game on Android devices exists using the JoiPlay emulator.^[12]

Pokémon Insurgence received positive praise from gaming outlets. Ryan Thompson-Bamsey of TheGamer referred to Pokémon Insurgence as "one of the most acclaimed Pokémon fan games to exist", describing it as "a breath of fresh air" and the story as "brooding and dark".^[13] On a list of the best fan-made Pokémon games, multiple writers for TheGamer put Pokémon Insurgence in the first position, noting its popularity with the Pokémon community, a "riveting plot", and new designs in the form of Delta species.^[1] Time Extension's Damien McFerran said that Pokémon Insurgence demonstrated how advanced fan developers within the Pokémon community had become.^[14] In a list of the "Best Pokémon Fan Games Ever Made" compiled by Anthony Wallace of RetroDodo, Pokémon Insurgence placed third and was praised by Wallace for its mature storyline, jokingly comparing the game to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City due to the presence of cults and "Pokémon worshippers". Wallace also positively highlighted the replay value, with its multiple difficulty options.^[15] Writing for Kotaku, Patricia Hernandez praised the customisation options made available to the player, whilst also highlighting unique additions such as built-in Nuzlocke settings, Delta Pokémon and armor upgrades.^[4]

GameRant's Ryan Woodrow placed Pokémon Insurgence first on a list of the best Pokémon fan games, positing the game as "the best of the best when it comes to high-quality Pokémon fan games". Woodrow emphasised the game's "healthy dose of challenge", such as the gyms being based on themes as opposed to traditional types, multiple explorable regions, the expanded Dex and the return of Mega Evolutions, alongside Delta Pokémon.^[16] Also writing for GameRant, Eduardo Ariedo included Pokémon Insurgence in a list of the hardest Pokémon fan games to Nuzlocke, placing the game second, Ariedo noted the multiple customisable options catering specifically to players looking to Nuzlocke, including solo runs and randomisers.^[17] Phillip Martinez of Screen Rant designated Pokémon Insurgence as the "Best Unofficial Pokémon Video Game", highlighting its "engaging" and "extensive" postgame content and the use of Generation V style graphics.^[18] Writing for the University of Warwick student newspaper The Boar, Reece Goodall compared Pokémon Insurgence to developer Verchere's previous fan games Pokémon Zeta and Omicron, describing the "gripping" storylines Verchere creates, an example including the player facing a terrorist organisation that aimed to exploit Pokémon to ascend to godhood. Goodall also noted that the game was not affected by region locks, which affects official release titles.^[19] Donnie Smith, writing for Screen Rant, brought up the immorality of capturing and training Pokémon, addressing how Pokémon Insurgence takes it further by introducing clans that experiment on them, labelling the story as "dark" and "disturbing".^[20]