As of March 28th, InZOI is officially in Early Access, giving us a peek at the new life simulator. It has a Very Positive Steam rating, but should you try it now or wait for a full release?
Playing in early access
Buying something during Early Access can be useful both for you and the developers. You can potentially shape InZOI’s future by providing feedback on how it’s coming along. Developers, on the other hand, get invaluable feedback from their audience.
KRAFTON notes that launching an Early Access version is specifically this community engagement in mind:
“Prioritizing which features to develop first is critical, and we believe open communication with players is the best way to achieve this.”
So, if you’re keen to have a say about InZOI’s future, it could be worth starting to play it now. Plus, it’s cheaper during Early Access, with any DLC released during the time included in the price. We don’t know exactly how much it will cost on launch, so bagging it now could be a steal.
Features and known problems
However, playing in Early Access isn’t without problems: InZOI is still under development, so there are a number of reported faults and missing features that are still under construction. For example, the roadmap says that body customisation won’t be added until the May update. This means you can’t alter a Zoi’s weight or muscles until then. Instead, they’re stuck with the default body type. If you’re playing from launch, then that’s a long wait for body diversity.
Similarly, the developers have flagged a few known issues with InZOI’s current version. Although this is generally expected while a game is still in development – this stage is about ironing out bugs and glitches – there are some fairly stunning oversights. For instance, it isn’t currently possible to enter queer relationships with pre-made Zois you find around town. Given that the developers have flagged this problem in their notes, it’s safe to assume this won’t always be the case. However, InZOI Studios hasn’t given a patch date yet.
Something that could make or break whether you want to try it out is its use of generative AI. InZOI embeds GenAI into several gameplay aspects, including using it to create assets like furniture, decor, and textures. If you have ethical concerns about AI, InZOI most likely isn’t for you, as it seems to be a fairly unavoidable, core part of the experience. In fact, the Steam listing and the studio website note as much.
Alternatives to InZOI
Unconvinced by InZOI? There are a few other life sims to choose from. Tiny Life offers a queer-inclusive 2D dollhouse experience with retro pixel art, detailed home-building options, and full support for mods. Or, if you like InZOI’s character creator, there’s plenty of scope to fine-tune The Sims 3 or The Sims 4 with Mods and Custom Content. The addition of a more complex tattoo system with The Sims 4: Businesses & Hobbies has particularly changed the game when it comes to creating highly customised Sims.
InZOI is going to be in Early Access for around a year, so if you’re planning on picking it up anyway, it could be worth buying it while it’s still a reduced price. But, you could wait until some problems are fixed and more key elements are added. If you’re on the fence, maybe wait to see how it develops and how certain issues are addressed.
