Ghost of Yotei devs "like having a clean screen" free of mini maps and yellow paint: "Why would we muck it up with all this stuff on the screen if we can figure out other ways to guide you?"

Ghost of Yotei gameplay showing Atsu sitting on her horse between bright pink cherry blossoms, looking at a distant fortification built against a mountain — (Image credit: Sucker Punch)

Ghost of Yotei's developers had to "figure out ways" to get players excited to explore their new open world adventure without relying heavily on overt indicators like divisive yellow paint, because they "like having a clean screen" that doesn't "muck up" their game.

Yellow paint is sometimes used in games to help guide players to things like interactive objects or climbable ledges – think of the Resident Evil 4 remake, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. However, its use tends to be a bit controversial – players don't always enjoy feeling like a game is holding their hand, and an out-of-nowhere splash of color can sometimes clash with and detract from the environment you're exploring.

"I certainly think it comes from the decision to be more diegetic, like, more inside the game world," Connell begins, before explaining that it's "actually one of the most challenging problems" for game designers and artists as "you gotta figure out ways in which you can get people excited about going to a place without putting a giant thing on the screen that says 'go here,' or, a giant map that says 'go here,' or a mini map."

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I'm GamesRadar+'s Deputy News Editor, working alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield's student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming's news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you're sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.

With contributions from

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