Multiple early previews from outlets who have had the chance to play a demo version of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have been shared this morning, detailing their experience with the upcoming open-world Pokémon game. Although many of the previews are small, a key mechanic appears to come from this year’s other unique Pokémon title, Pokémon Legends: Arceus and the Let’s Go series.
The experience was shared by Serebii, the massive information trove regarding anything related to Pokémon. While playing, Serebii encountered the world’s first full-odds shiny to appear in the overworld. While confirming that shinies will return, they also shared that shiny Pokémon will appear in the overworld, similar to Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
“I was climbing up a cliffside, and when I made it to the top, I just saw a shiny Skiddo amongst some other Pokémon,” Serebii shared in their preview. “That’s right, continuing on from Let’s Go and Legends: Arceus, Shiny Pokémon are fully visible on the overworld, which is a marked improvement over Sword & Shield.”
Related: Bellibolt’s new ability could make it an Electric-type powerhouse in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
The Pokémon community had been rumbling about if this particular mechanic would make its way over from the Arceus and Let’s Go series of games. Both games feature Pokémon that appear in the overworld, rather than merely rustling grass or requiring players to run through particular locations for a random Pokémon to spawn. Unfortunately, Serebii did not confirm if there was a sound or a particular effect that played when they encountered the shiny, so we’ll have to wait to find out for ourselves.
Many previews also covered the more streamlined gameplay that players can expect in the upcoming Pokémon title. For example, there should be more straightforward menus and options, such as being able to heal Pokémon immediately from the menu, pulling Pokémon directly from your box and swapping them onto your team, and Pokémon being able to relearn and forget moves instantly from the menu.
There’s a lot of ambition behind Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. We’re excited to check it out for ourselves when the game arrives on November 18 on the Nintendo Switch.
