The dominance of The Sims appears to be waning. While Electronic Arts continues to capitalize on the success of its life simulation game with an extensive array of paid DLCs and delays in releasing the fifth episode of a well-received series, efforts are underway in South Korea to introduce inZOI globally. In fact, Sim’Life from Krafton studios garnered significant attention at gamescom 2024, receiving a prominent spotlight during the opening conference and playable sessions on their booth at Koelnmesse in Cologne. The game is already available to everyone through its character editor, with numerous content creators sharing gameplay videos for several weeks now.
Why does inZOI drive virtual reality life simulation enthusiasts crazy? Firstly, visually, Krafton’s title offers ultra-detailed graphics, rendered very realistically, thanks to the use of Unreal Engine 5. Additionally, the game promises that players can do virtually everything as they would in real life, such as building a home, finding a job, and interacting with anyone in the game within an entirely open world where various means of transport are available. The city environment is modeled after Los Angeles and its famous Santa Monica district; a strategic choice by South Koreans targeting a Western audience, particularly Americans. However, in the character editor, pre-made models predominantly feature Asian features, although players will be able to create their avatar according to their preferences.
Better, InZOI offers users the ability to scan their face directly into the game via an app called Live Link Face, which can be downloaded onto a smartphone. This feature has been implemented in NBA 2K, and InZOI aims to use this capability to attract more players, particularly female players. Additionally, through AI integration within the game, it will also allow users to speak with their own voice, ensuring that lip-syncing and movements accurately represent them. This further underscores the competitive challenge posed by InZOI to The Sims series.
