Woman Playing Computer Game Canva
As someone who loves a good life simulator game, I couldn’t stop myself from checking out the new release in the genre, inZOI. If you’re like me and a fan of life sims like The Sims, there are always new features we just can’t wait to try.
For me, it’s things like creating the perfect character, decorating my houses, or even just watching my characters get into the kind of situations I’d never find myself in ever. There’s something about games like this that feels a bit real.
So, when I heard that the game had these features, that’s when I made the decision that I was going to purchase inZOI as soon as it was released on Steam.
The question that I’ve been seeing everyone asking lately is whether it’s worth playing now, or if they should wait until it’s fully released.
For anyone who hasn’t heard of it, inZOI is a new life simulation game released on March 27, 2025, developed by inZOI Studio and published by KRAFTON.
So, in this review, I will go over what I enjoyed, what I think needs improvement, and whether or not I think it’s worth buying during Early Access.
The moment I opened inZOI, I was welcomed by a super cute introduction video. Honestly, one of the reasons I was so excited to try it was because of the graphics; it just looked so realistic. That alone was enough to get me.
When I used to play The Sims, I was always downloading custom content (or “CC”) to make things look more real. If you’ve played, you might have heard of “alpha CC.” That’s the kind of file that makes the characters look super detailed and realistic. It took a lot of time to get all of my CC, but it made the game feel way more fun.
With inZOI, I didn’t have to do any of that. The realistic look is already built in, which honestly surprised me. The graphics are so sharp, and the details on the characters are really good.
The best part for me was the character creation. It’s super detailed and fun to spend your time on. You get two options, basic editing and detailed editing, where you can make your character look exactly like you or even like a celebrity, which I’ve seen people do. You can also start with a character that’s already been designed and customize everything from the face, body, outfits, accessories, and even a new feature I’ve never seen in a life sim before, Craft.
I love this option because it’s creative. You can make your own outfits and accessories, which is different. You don’t even need mods or outside custom content.
They also have a feature called Canvas in the game, where inZOI players get to share their designs and characters with other players. This has got to be one of the best features for me.
There’s also a feature for people who don’t feel like working, they added money cheats. As someone who always uses them in The Sims, I loved how easy it was to access here. You don’t have to type in commands; you just go to the Help section, click on it, and you get some extra money.
Decorating is another thing I love. Once I start, I can spend more than two hours decorating my house. To be honest, I’m more into decorating than building. Building feels like too much work, so I usually pick an apartment, delete everything, and redesign it exactly how I want it.
Another thing that I enjoy about this game is watching my character go about their daily life. This is exactly where the job system really shows its strength. I’ve been an assistant, a trainee firefighter, and a few other jobs in between. The fact that I get to see my character involved in these jobs brings the game to life in such a vivid way.
Customization is also all over the game, as well. You can change the animals, tree colors, billboards, and even the weather. This really brings the game to life.
However, while I think there are many good things, there are definitely some areas that need improvement.
One thing that I had a problem with was the game’s performance. First, after creating my character, I went into the game and everything kind of changed. The graphics started to look grainy whenever I moved the camera around. It wasn’t sharp anymore. My computer usually can handle high graphics settings, but with inZOI, I had to lower the settings.
Also, I do think the game can feel a little void at times. I have noticed that other players have said the same thing. In my case, I spend so much time designing my characters and decorating that I don’t really feel that emptiness that much. But if you enjoy the game for gameplay alone, you may feel it too.
Overall, this game seems great, and it’s definitely worth trying out if you’re a fan of life simulation games. I bought it during Early Access because it was cheaper. If you’re deciding whether to buy it, its low price could be a factor since it is lower than what it will be once it’s fully released.
As the game also continues to grow and new features are added by the developers, I’m sure there will be many different opinions. I, however, like the direction that the game is going in.