I found a developer interview online. A lot of interesting tidbits.
news.xbox.com
“Since the day I started working on this project in Unreal engine, I wanted a world map,” he said. “I feel like it’s such a cool thing that has almost completely disappeared from the face of the gaming industry. Like, nobody does that anymore, and for me it was such a crucial and important part of what made the old-school JRPGs unique. It’s this sense of travelling and [indicating that] we are an expedition… and we wanted the player to feel like they’re going on a grand journey.”
They are speaking to my heart here.