A New Take on Life Simulation
inZOI is a new life simulation game aiming to shake up the genre dominated by The Sims. On paper, it promises a fresh experience with full character control, an open-world environment, and extensive customization. But does it live up to the hype, or is it just an odd experiment in game design?
First Impressions – A Weird But Ambitious Start
Booting up inZOI, it’s clear this game isn’t your typical life sim. Instead of a straightforward introduction, players are met with a bizarre corporate sci-fi framing device—apparently, magic cats run the world. It’s an odd but strangely charming premise that sets the tone for what follows: a game filled with ambitious ideas but also a lot of weirdness.
Customization: Where inZOI Shines
One of inZOI’s biggest strengths is its extensive customization. Players can:
- Modify the city itself, adjusting factors like weather, pollution, and even transforming the environment into a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
- Import 2D images to create 3D objects, allowing for nearly unlimited personal touches.
- Customize video billboards in the city with any YouTube video, giving players full control over the world’s aesthetics.
These features give inZOI a level of player freedom that The Sims hasn’t quite achieved yet. However, the execution isn’t always polished, leading to some hilarious (and sometimes disturbing) results.
Uncanny Characters and AI-Generated Oddities
While customization is impressive, character models often fall into the uncanny valley. Some look too perfect, while others are just… unsettling. AI-generated textures for clothes and objects add to the strangeness, often leading to surreal and unintentionally creepy results.
The Zoi characters (the in-game Sims equivalent) feel lifeless in social interactions. Conversations revolve around odd topics like cryptocurrency and business investments, making the game feel oddly detached from real human experiences.
Gameplay – Where Things Fall Apart
Despite its ambitious customization, inZOI struggles with core gameplay mechanics.
- Needs management is too easy, making daily life tasks feel unengaging.
- Life goals lack depth, offering little motivation to progress.
- Driving is clunky, with minimal consequences for reckless behavior (hitting NPCs barely has an effect).
The game throws a lot of features at players, but many feel underdeveloped, making inZOI more of a sandbox experiment than a fully realized life simulator.
Technical Issues and Early Access Problems
Since the game is still in Early Access, it comes with plenty of technical hiccups:
- Frequent crashes and performance issues.
- AI pathfinding is unreliable, causing characters to get stuck in weird places.
- Advertised features like ghosts and motion capture aren’t functional yet.
While updates could fix these problems, the game currently feels more like a tech demo than a polished experience.
Final Thoughts – A Game With Potential, But Not Ready Yet
In its current state, inZOI is an intriguing but flawed experience. It offers incredible customization and some genuinely fresh ideas, but it lacks the polish and depth needed to truly compete with The Sims. If the developers refine the gameplay and iron out the bugs, this could become a standout entry in the life sim genre. But for now, it’s more of a fascinating curiosity than a must-play title.
