Creativity or Controversy? The AI Debate Surrounding inZOI

Creativity or Controversy? The AI Debate Surrounding inZOI

After creating my household, I was dropped into Dowon, inZOI’s stylish, Seoul-inspired city, ready for my digital self to start exploring. However, it didn’t take long for some of the game’s ambitious ideas to show their rough edges. Although the open world is large and lively, there’s an underlying sense that it’s not yet fully polished.

Starting out in my apartment, I watched my Zoi move around comfortably, cooking a frittata and chatting casually with their roommate. Conversations in inZOI revolve around three categories: Love, Friendship, and Business, letting you easily steer interactions and relationships however you choose. The Zois communicate in a custom language similar to Simlish, created specifically for inZOI. Producer Hyungjun Kim explained, “We developed our own unique language for the game. It’s written using Korean characters, but the spoken language is entirely original to the inZOI universe.”

At first glance, character interactions felt genuine, though occasionally the animations could appear slightly stiff or awkward. However, charming details, like how realistically my Zoi cracked eggs into a bowl, often made up for these quirks.

Once I ventured outside into Dowon, my digital Seoul-inspired city, I found even more freedom. I could effortlessly adjust environmental settings, quickly turning a sunny day into a dramatic, post-apocalyptic scene. Despite occasional graphical hiccups, like textures popping into view late, I was genuinely impressed with how naturally I could interact with and shape the city around me.

Communication in inZOI is categorized into Love, Friendship, and Business, letting you guide conversations and relationships naturally. There’s even a Karma system that tracks your actions, adding meaningful consequences. Small actions like littering or, amusingly, secretly farting near your roommate could have lasting impacts. During my time, I jokingly tested this system by having my Zoi do some silly things, like sneaking a fart near my virtual roommate, though I wasn’t entirely sure how all these choices might affect me later.

Overall, while the game is ambitious and occasionally shows rough edges (texture pop-ins and slightly awkward movements), it also offers impressive freedom and charm, making me eager to see how it evolves as it approaches release.