Why there is no small map in "Light and Shadow": Exploration based on feelings is the charm of RPG

　　Recently, in an interview with the Twitch channel Dropped Frames, creative director of "Light and Shadow: Expedition No. 33" Guillaume Broche explained why the game does not have a minimap. He said that minimaps will make players ignore the game environment and distract from scene design.

Broche mentioned: "Small maps make the game experience boring. I remember when I played "Final Fantasy 10", I always stared at the small map, completely ignoring the surrounding environment, and finally only remember the outline of the map, not the specific level design." Although he doesn't like small maps, once they exist, he will rely on it himself. Therefore, the team referred to the design of "Dark Souls" to guide the exploration through environmental clues and player memory.

　The price of this design is that players may miss hidden content, but Broche believes that this is exactly the charm of RPG games: "It is normal to miss some secrets. When you pause the game and think about 'will there be any secrets', the details of the entire game world will be reproduced in your mind. This kind of exploration experience is more fun than staring at a small map."

Many players agree with this design, believing that this method enhances the visual impact of the fantasy scenes, while enhancing the sense of exploration of classic RPGs, and avoids the destruction of immersion by the common "market" design in modern games. Just like the Dark Souls series, players must observe the environment carefully instead of relying on minimap navigation, which greatly enhances the sense of accomplishment of discovering secrets.

　However, there are also voices of objection, especially in the case of complex mazes and limited perspectives, the inability to track one's own progress does frustrate some players. Some players have proposed some compromises, such as adding marking functions to the world map to help players navigate better.