InZOI Review

InZOI is the latest and perhaps the boldest life simulation game that has entered the market. The studio behind PUBG: Battlegrounds, KRAFTON, shows courage to enter and compete in this genre with the ever-popular The Sims series. When EA announced that they weren't working on The Sims 5 and Paradox Interactive's Life by You was canceled, fans of the life simulation genre were all looking forward to InZOI.

Like many big initiatives, their success depends on their introduction. KRAFTON had a massive financial success with PUBG and backing from Tencent, but does InZOI live up to the hype now that Early Access is available? It's really hard to judge so early for a game of this magnitude. Limited access to the game was given to very few individuals last year in August 2024; however, following a minor delay with this current Early Access release, it sparked a lot of gamers' interest.

Although some players enjoyed the game, others were concerned about the first challenges and poor outcomes. However, I was among the ones who loved it. There's no doubt that InZOI was designed by a committed team of artists because of how beautiful everything looks in the game. The game wants to push the limits of the genre by providing a highly sophisticated simulation in which every "Zoi," or virtual person, has over 400 mental components shaping their actions and decisions. It's a bit insane if you imagine that from a technical point of view.

Obviously, InZOI does not follow a set narrative since it's not a story-driven game. Rather, just as we saw in The Sims, InZOI lets you design and control your own Zoi, guiding her through her (your) virtual life. The game lets you create your own narrative, regardless of your desire for a perfect society. In this way, every Zoi's path is unique, making InZOI, or should I say, the life simulation genre, so remarkable.  Your Zoi, including every other individual (Zois), are able to interact, experience emotions, and make decisions based on their abilities.

I tested a few different Zois in the game, and one of the best things about InZOI is that every Zoi experience felt different. Yes, there are some common facts that I'll discuss in a bit, but depending on Zoi's builds, you can create a peaceful, happy community or a chaotic world full of drama; the choice is fully yours. InZOI's open-ended design, the possibilities are endless while you set long-term goals for Zoi, aiming to become a famous artist, a top athlete, or even a master criminal.

Like in any life simulation game, Zois in InZOI need to build their careers, learn new skills, and grow them over time. InZOI puts a lot of emphasis on Zoi's skill development, whether they want to be entrepreneurs, musicians, or tech experts. And unlike The Sims, where jobs often feel like simple menu selections, InZOI will let you take an active role in your Zois' work life. The game also rewards consistent effort. For example, if your Zoi enjoys music, she needs to practice regularly to improve her skills.

The difference between The Sims and InZOI in terms of skill development is that your Zoi's development is based on her experiences rather than a traditional XP system. While this new way of leveling up might be preferred by some players, others may prefer a clearer leveling-up structure, but I thought this growth mechanic was very natural. It almost felt like how the current-gen life simulations should be.

A Zoi's career paths are somewhat similar to how we saw things in The Sims, which is pretty expected. But the most impressive feature of InZOI is how each Zoi remembers their past experiences. If a Zoi is treated badly or deceived, they won't forget it. This makes relationships feel real and unique because they will almost always react accordingly in future interactions, unlike The Sims, where the characters immediately forget a bad behavior if followed by a good one, unless a sim hits the bottom of a relationship with someone.

Remember when KRAFTON teased Virtual Human, ANA? It seemed like KRAFTON invested heavily in Zoi's artificial intelligence, and you can almost tell that by interacting with different personalities because your or any other random Zoi's reaction to memories or incidents creates a dynamic, ever-changing experience.

Sadly, however, it's not perfect, and there's a lack of sophistication or development that felt lacking. Since the game relies heavily on AI to generate interactions, there are moments that feel very random or disconnected, even when Zoi is interacting with someone known. This made it hard for me to stay fully engaged with the game or, at times, enjoy the gameplay.

Furthermore, InZOI seriously lacks in terms of the game's balance. I recalled playing the first The Sims and compared it to how The Sims 4 feels now; it took EA fourteen years to balance The Sims series. The same can be said for InZOI. There's so much happening in the game that goes completely without explanation. While it's great that Zois have their personalities, their unpredictable behavior can sometimes be frustrating. For instance, an ambitious Zoi suddenly quits her great job without any reason, or a good friend stops hanging out with you for no obvious reason.

However, unlike The Sims, which limits characters to specific locations, InZOI offers a fully open world. The game's city is inspired by real places like Seoul and Los Angeles, featuring parks, cafes, nightclubs, and more. Then again, while the world in InZOI is vast and visually stunning, it sometimes feels almost empty. You'll see AI Zois randomly popping up when you're interacting with someone. But otherwise, the world outside mostly feels empty.

And unless you're interacting with the NPCs, their interactions throughout the game seem scripted rather than natural. For instance, you'll see an AI Zoi working out in an office dress. KRAFTON developers surely have a big plan in mind, and unless they include more dynamic events and interactions to make the city feel more alive, this could turn out to be extremely dull.

One of the interesting aspects of progression is how a Zoi's personality changes over time, something I never saw in any of the life simulation games before. A character who faces repeated social failures might become more withdrawn, while a dedicated music lover could eventually play in front of crowds and become famous. I found this particular feature very interesting, which made the playthrough feel unique and rewarding. While these incidents happen rarely and are very random, they are a nice touch by the developers and something that can be improved upon.

Conversations in InZOI have a nice little dynamic touch, too, adding a surprising layer of realism and making interactions more engaging. However, disagreements with the AI Zoies will mostly, or should I say, always turn into heated arguments, and you need to decide whether to compromise or let it sour. Unlike The Sims, there aren't physical fights between two Zois, which I thought would be funny to watch, given the game's incredible visuals. Perhaps this is something we might see in future expansions.

Speaking of the visuals, one of InZOI's biggest strengths is its incredible graphics. In terms of visuals, InZOI truly surpasses the expectations we've had for the life sim genre for a while now. The city's design is inspired by real-life locations, and it looks breathtaking. With detailed environmental details like sunlight filtering through trees and rain creating realistic reflections in puddles, the game really feels lively.

Character animations feel smooth and natural, and the number of details added during the creation of Zoi is mind-blowing. You can design amazingly beautiful life-like characters, and there's no doubt that we'll soon start seeing Zoi's character creation tutorials from experts who have been designing incredible characters in The Sims.

These high-quality visuals, however, come at a price. If you own a mid-range or lower-end PC, you will experience frame rate drops, especially in busy areas. I have a decent PC that can run almost any current-gen game, and I even felt the game's rendering could use a bit of optimization. KRAFTON needs to optimize InZOI to target a wider audience since not everyone owns a high-end PC. Even though InZOI will be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, this current Early Access version is only playable on PC, and you won't enjoy playing it without a high-end PC.

InZOI's sound design is nicely done, which adds another layer of realism. From the hustle and bustle of city streets to the soothing background music at home, the game's audio helps create a realistic experience. The music changes depending on the situation, and the transition is nicely done, too. For instance, the relaxing melody while your Zoi unwinds at home will shift to an upbeat tune during social events. It's the least we can expect from a game of this scale, and these small details make the world feel more responsive and engaging.

Overall, InZOI is an exciting new entry in the life simulation genre, and The Sims fans will adore it. Yes, the game does feel incomplete, but you can almost sense that KRAFTON has something big in the making, judging by the game's deep character customization, life-like interactions, and captivating visuals.

However, InZOI is in Early Access, and I felt the $24.99 price tag was still a bit high, given that there is still plenty of room for improvement, especially in AI behavior, world interaction, and optimization issues. InZOI is definitely worth checking out for life simulation genre fans, but anyone who would prefer a more polished experience should wait for future updates. Unless, of course, you don't mind a few rough edges and have been hungry for an open-ended life simulator.

InZOI has incredible potential and is an ambitious project—perhaps KRAFTON's most ambitious project yet. The game's ability to create unique and evolving stories, decisions with lasting consequences, and no two playthroughs ever being the same surely sounds appealing. However, the emptiness in the world, unusual AI Zoi behavior, and mediocre optimization suggest that a lot of work still needs to be done.

If you're a fan of the life simulation genre and open to experiencing something new, InZOI is definitely worth a try. But if you're looking for a fully polished game, it may be best to wait a little longer, at least until the final version is released. I believe if KRAFTON continues to refine the game like how EA did The Sims series, InZOI could become one of the greatest life simulation games ever made.