The Sims is one of the most defining series, giving us some of the best games of all time across its numerous entries. With Project Rene promising a potential Sims 5 on the horizon, several rivals such as Paralives and Life By You have recently given the life sim genre a big shakeup, and now a new challenger looks like one of its most promising yet. This is inZOI, from PUBG studio Krafton.
A big gameplay reveal of inZOI at Krafton’s G-Star showcase shows that this is a serious play by the South Korean publisher, which also released 2022 Dead Space spiritual successor The Callisto Protocol alongside the ongoing and hugely successful PUBG Battlegrounds. Looking to rival the best life games on PC, inZOI is already looking supremely good, delivering on its realistic style in Unreal Engine 5.
It’s been good seeing other studios attempt to challenge EA’s long-standing dominance of the life sim space. Don’t get me wrong: I absolutely adore The Sims to this day and am very excited to see where things go next for that series, but a bit of competition is only going to be good for us players. In that respect, inZOI’s early footage is already certain to excite, looking fantastic from both a visual and design standpoint.
Oftentimes, striving for a more realistic look can lead to a loss of personality, but inZOI manages to retain a distinctive sense of style. The decor and furniture looks warm and homely, creating places I’d actually want to live in – undoubtedly an essential aspect of the genre. What’s the point of a life sim if it builds a world you don’t care to live in, after all?
There’s also very much that Sims ‘feel’ to the footage, from the way the characters interact with an exaggerated enthusiasm, or stand dutifully painting their latest masterpiece as the paint appears in stage-by-stage splotches. The crafting looks versatile and intuitive, and the worlds seem alive with activity. The whole thing’s accompanied by an annoyingly infectious soundtrack, too, which will undoubtedly be ringing around my head for the rest of the day.
Among the early playtesters is Sims YouTuber Madi ‘acottonsock,’ who says, “inZOI’s got some serious potential, especially with Krafton being all-ears for the players’ feedback.” She notes that the early build felt like it was a little light on consequences for things going awry, such as not meeting your Zoi’s needs or even having one die, but is impressed by the early potential here – a sentiment I can certainly share.
There’s currently no release date given for inZOI, but I’m already eager to see more of it in action. It’s looking like a great jumping off point, and if the team at Krafton gets those small details right it could have a real winner on its hands. We’ll be watching with interest.
Until it comes along, have a look through the best Sims 4 mods to spice up your time with EA’s latest installment. We’ve also got a roundup of the best games like The Sims for your perusal.
Additionally, you can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides.