When I see a Pokémon fangame with great promotional artwork, I instantly feel more confident. It's the same as picking up a self-published book with a well-made cover; you feel like what you're going to read, or in this case, play, is going to be well-made and of high quality.
That's certainly the case with Pokémon Investiture. But before I get to talking about the graphics and the number of Fakemon on offer (it's 115 if you really can't wait a couple more seconds), I want to talk about the narrative in this game, because as a writer, that's the bit I hone in on the most.
Pokémon Investiture is very story-driven, with a well-thought-out narrative thought up by the game's creator Hadron that sets up the player for an intrepid adventure. It's more along the lines of Pokémon Unbound than the likes of Pokémon Red and Blue, with actual lore and previous history that has an impact on your game going forward.
It features the brand-new region of Nalsia, a region inspired by the works of Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere! Nalsia takes influences from the worlds of Roshar from the Stormlight Archive and Scadrial from Mistborn.
Hadron, Creator od Pokémon Investiture
The new region of Nalsia has spent years in turmoil, divided until the recent establishment of the Pokémon League which has brought the people together. Two groups, the Rosh and the Scadan, have different views of how we should live with Pokémon, so as you can imagine, the unity the League has brought is pretty fragile to say the least.
As the champion in your home region, you go undercover as a new trainer to assess and mould the Nalsia Pokémon League into something that can fully bring the people of the region together in harmony, all while stopping Team Rift from sending it into further chaos.
Now that's the kind of narrative I can get behind, and it doesn't stop there. There's a choice-led system in Pokémon Investiture; there are different interactions and quests depending on what home region you choose, and the advice you give when playing in Gyms will shape how the trainers in those gyms fight later on through the game. It's not quite the same as the morality engine in Fable, but that's the closest comparison I can make to describe it.
Right, let's talk about the key features, shall we? Investiture will have 115 Fakemon in total as well as Pokémon from all 9 Generations to collect. In the demo, there are only 28 Fakemon to collect, but the number will increase when the full game is released. The game's graphics are also inspired by Gen 5 Pokémon games Pokémon Black & White, so think an alternative DS Pokémon adventure.
There are sidequests to complete too which further enrich the game's narrative, introducing you to different NPCs and giving you a better understanding of the people of Nalsia and the region as a whole. You'll fight Boss Pokémon, take part in challenge modes, fill in a more detailed Pokédex than ever before, and much, much more.
Head to Pokémon Investiture's page on Eevee Expo to find out more and to try out the demo!
Also, check out PKsinew, the complete companion app for Gen 3 Pokémon fans!
