While Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 looks like a modern game, its roots are that of classical JRPGs. Don't expect the game to feature one staple of the genre, and it's not because of any technical reason, but an intentional gameplay design.
I'm referring to a mini map, which developer Sandfall Interactive has confirmed won't be featured in the game.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Won't Have a Mini Map And Sandfall Explains Why
Why won't Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 feature a mini map? Producer and COO Francois Meurisse explained this in a chat with Eurogamer at an Xbox event held during the Game Developer's Conference (GDC).
Meurisse explains, "There won't be mini maps in the levels. When there's a mini map, you can end up relying on it. And we want players to discover the world as the expedition does it. They don't have a map because every previous expedition failed. So yes, sometimes it can be difficult to find their way."
However, players won't be left groping in the dark, as Meurisse confirms they added a compass to help players. "What we added on the world map that wasn't in the preview demo is just a compass, so you can...
