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Many of the games that have an overworld feature a world map of some sort; these range from very basic—such as a gray rectangle with a dot indicating the position of the character in The Legend of Zelda—to an overworld map that can be toggled on and off, but shows only rough outlines of various locations, as well as the character's ever-changing location, such as in later installments in the Zelda series, or many Final Fantasy games. Some games, including several installments in the Zelda and Final Fantasy series, include detailed, often colorful maps that can be accessed through the game's menus or by pressing a button or combination of buttons. Several games require the player to obtain an item that will allow them to view the map, while others feature a non-playable character (NPC) that will give the main character (or party) a map. In most games, however, the map is available from the outset, and does not require a special item to view.
Whatever the map style employed (if any), varied world map terrain such as mountains, rivers and deserts may prevent the character(s) from visiting an area until they have completed a certain task or acquired a special skill, vehicle or other key item. Many CRPGs eventually allow the player rapid movement around the overworld, using such methods as flying, sailing, or teleporting to various locations. The map icon is often represented as a rectangle. Usually, flying or sailing across one edge of the map will bring the character(s) to the edge of the opposite side.
In some games, certain areas of the overworld map are hidden from the player, or at least difficult to reach; these "secret" areas often contain difficult-to-obtain items, or they might simply hold "Easter Egg"-style novelties or other such diversions. In some games, especially those that have a "level select" style of overworld (e.g. a lot of old-school 2D platform games), portions of the overworld become available for play as certain tasks are completed (e.g. beating a particular level or discovering a secret hidden within a level).
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