I dove headfirst into inZOI, and let me tell you – this game is wild. It’s like someone took every life sim I’ve ever loved, turned the dial on the realism, sprinkled some random surprises, and called it a day. I was loving the entertainment while eating my big bowl of sweet popcorn.
In my InZOI Gameplay Review I’ll be taking you through some of the personal experiences and achievements in the game. From funny bugs to cool features like Karma Powers, see what caught my eye and what’s my final verdict of the newest life simulation entry:
InZOI Gameplay Review Contents
Relationship Log and Awkward Conversations
One of the features I liked was the relationship log. I could track my Zoi’s first impression of people, see how their relationships develop, and you can even pinpoint when they regretted mentioning their ex at dinner. We can now detect red flags and can run to safety! It just adds to the storytelling and makes the experience more immersive.
Bugs, but make them funny
I have been reading that I’m not the only one playing with a few quirks. A few of them had me scratching my head – I wasn’t allowed to perform friendly interactions until I ‘knew’ someone better… but how was I supposed to know them better if I couldn’t talk to them? I awkwardly waited for the game to decide if I could move the conversation along. However, after some time and rebooting the game, I was able to have a conversation, thankfully. I hope when it comes to traffic, everyone is more patient than I am because I kept attracting traffic, and driving took some getting used to as it felt like I was trying to parallel park blindfolded.
The Wedding Crashers (But Make it Cute)
Now, let’s talk about my Zoi’s beautiful wedding. It was a well-designed outside wedding that had me squealing every minute then – bam! Random strangers started showing up to throw confetti, which was nice of them, but no cargo shorts at my wedding! It was just hilarious, 10/10, would have my uninvited guests again.
What you can actually do (Besides dodge traffic and awkward weddings)
The true magic of the game is in the freedom. You can decorate your Zoi and their dream home to the tiniest detail, choose a career, fall in love, and have your heart broken, then get revenge and even cry or laugh at which genetics your kids inherit. I made a cute couple, and their baby… didn’t look like them at all, but that’s science for you. We move on. If that doesn’t sound exciting, well… you can technically mow people down in your car. I mean, not that I would ever do that in the game (cough), but at least you know that the chaos has potential.
Karma, Ghosts and the Meaning of Life
Additionally, I really enjoyed looking at how your Zoi’s actions affect their karma levels. If you can get enough, your luck will improve and you can get that lottery ticket! On the other hand, anything can happen if you go complete villain. The developers mentioned that low-karma Zois will be able to return as ghosts to fix their mistakes. That makes for a good story – everyone loves a spiritual redemption arc. I instantly thought of making my Zoi a menace that gets haunted by their bad decisions, like A Christmas Carol, but with more questionable life choices.
Cool features (and a few missing ones)
One of my favourite features about inZOI is how you can move every part of the UI anywhere you like on the screen. This is a perfect feature for those who want to have more freedom with your layout.
Some other interesting features include:
- AI Smart Zoi Mode (still experimental) – This lets you see their inner thoughts, making their actions make way more sense, which I am excited to mess around with more.
- Motion and facial capture – It is still in development, so it is kinda hit-or-miss but very promising.
Although there is still a lot to explore, some stuff is still missing or not fully fleshed out yet. For instance:
- No group meals – If you want to make a big dinner for your entire family, tough luck. Everyone eats separately like it’s an awkward high school cafeteria.
- No maternity leave or sick days – So if your Zoi is sick or just had a baby, they’re still expected to show up to work. Hope that newborn is fine on its own!
- No cutscenes (except for childbirth) – I was really looking forward to cinematic moments, but they’ve mostly been removed. Hoping they bring them back!
We can all be patient and understanding as we know it will take some time for everything to be perfect. Rome wasn’t built in a day!
Glitches that had me crying (some for the wrong reasons)
As expected, bugs were going to happen in early access games, but there was one that shocked me. Apparently, you were able to run over virtual kids in the game. It was so bad that a Krafton spokesperson said: “This issue was caused by an unintended bug that has been resolved in the latest patch. These depictions are highly inappropriate and do not reflect the intent and values of inZOI. We understand the seriousness of this matter and age-appropriate content, and we are strengthening our internal review processes to prevent similar incidents in the future.”.
InZOI Gameplay Review Verdict: A Chaotic, Addictive, and Exciting Start
Yes, inZOI has bugs. Yes, it can feel a bit overwhelming at times, but honestly? I truly loved just messing around and exploring with my Zois, eating from food trucks, and just living out cute and weird little slice-of-life moments. We can see that there is so much potential, and knowing the big plans for future updates makes me really eager to know what’s next.
Personally, I would recommend keeping an eye on inZOI as it has something for everyone. A little bit of mayhem, unexpected wedding guests mixed with ignoring traffic laws can create an interesting story. If you want something more chilled, why not give it a try and head to the cafe and get your fortune told or head to the amusement park and ride the Ferris Wheel?
