If they weren’t already, life simulators are about to hit the big time. For so long the only real game that was able to to gain any traction in the, pretty much, one game genre of its own was Electronic Arts and Maxis’s seminal The Sims.
Having first launched in 2000, The Sims has gone on to span a lifetime of getting on for 30 years at the top. I think it was at E3 in Atlanta in 1990 where I was first shown it on the Maxis stand, and even then there had been nothing like it really since the 8-bit computer days and Little Computer People.
The Sims has largely had a free run at the life-sim world for that long, it’s strange, but that dominance is set to be challenged by a number of other games fast heading for release. We have already looked at Life by You and now we have much more information about the unusually titled inZOI, from Korean-based Krafton to dissect via a new roadmap video highlighting what the team is currently working on.
Billed as “a life simulation game where the player has full control, allowing them to alter any aspect of their world to create their own unique stories and experiences,” InZOI has now had a host of new features revealed for the first time including:
- Group Activities for players to enjoy daily life together.
- Cars that the game character ‘Zoi’ can drive or ride.
- Reputation (Karma) where past actions influence future life.
- City Edit for controlling urban billboards, weather, and cleanliness.
- A Studio to create and reimagine specific scenarios.
- A Photo Mode for high-resolution screenshots.
“Since the first trailer was released last year, we have felt the immense interest from global fans towards inZOI,” Said Hyungjun ‘Kjun’ Kim, Producer and Director of inZOI. “Please continue to provide us with honest and diverse feedback through our Discord and SNS channels.”
Part two of the roadmap video will be released in May with Krafton looking at a release towards the end of the year. The competition will be tough, Maxis is already working on The Sims 5 and is unlikely to hand its crown over easily but Krafton is hopeful that its interaction with fans of its game might give inZoi an edge.
If you were wondering where the name Krafton is familiar they also boast the popular PUBG battle royale in their publisher stable as well as numerous studios globally working on a lot of other games you will be familiar with.