The Sims 4 vs InZoi: Which Life Sim Should You Play?
Disclaimer: This review is based on personal opinion and preference. Use it as a guide on your life simulation journey!
As someone who has played Sims 4 since 2016, I find it hard not to critique every simulation game released. I’ve been here since Sims 2, when there was no live dragging and modding was still new.
Therefore, I can judge when a simulation game is pretty good or not!
With InZoi entering the life sim genre, many longtime fans of The Sims 4, including myself, are wondering: Is it worth my time?
I decided to buy InZoi after its early access release and test it out, so you don’t have to! Both titles let you control the lives of virtual people, but their approach, aesthetics, and features are notably different.
In this article, we’ll break down the key differences between The Sims 4 and InZoi, comparing gameplay, graphics, customization, and community support—so you can decide which life sim deserves your time.
READ NEXT: Inzoi: New Game Like Sims with Realistic Graphics
Personal Gameplay Experience
Before looking at the features, I thought I’d share my experience playing the game!
My biggest problem with InZoi is the gameplay. Tasks take so long to complete, even with the fast-forward option. The worst time is when your Zoi goes to work. I had to sit around and wait, which felt like ages.
In addition, I often find myself asking, “What now?” In Sims, you’re given many tasks to complete, and there’s always something to do, but in InZoi, this isn’t the case. In the end, I got bored pretty quickly because there was simply nothing to do other than roam the town and enjoy the beautiful views.
Another issue I encountered with InZoi was the communication feature. I couldn’t speak to Zois at times and the mechanics was junky. For example, I had to click on Zoi’s a few times before the communication feature worked, and sometimes it just vanished.
In summary, just getting through interactions felt tedious and frustrating.
Sims 4 vs InZoi: Overview
Here’s an overview of both life simulation games:
| Feature | The Sims 4 | InZoi |
|---|---|---|
| Release Date | 2014 (ongoing updates) | Expected 2024–2025 |
| Developer | Maxis / Electronic Arts | Krafton (PUBG developer) |
| Platform | PC, Mac, Consoles | PC (TBD if consoles later) |
| Style | Stylized/Cartoony | Realistic/AAA-style |
| Price | The base game is free; packs cost extra | Currently costs $39.99 |
Cost
The key notable difference between the two games is the price. Sims 4 continues to enjoy a dedicated community and fan base because it’s FREE to play. And, despite the additional costs of expansion packs, you can play the life simulator without purchasing the add-ons and stuff packs.
The base game has all the aspirations, CAS items, build mechanisms, and features you need to create any storyline and build. You can live as an adult, a teen, an occult, and more, and live your virtual life to the fullest without ever getting an EP.
On the other hand, InZoi is in its early access release stage and ISN’T FREE. I had to pay $39.99 to access the game. The goal of the early access release is to give players an opportunity to test out the game and provide feedback. InZoi’s developers may or may not use this feedback to improve the game.
While I understand that it costs a lot of time and money to create a highly detailed game like InZoi, the price may be its biggest setback. No one likes spending unnecessary money, especially when you can access a similar game like The Sims 4 for free.
Visuals and Graphics
The Sims 4
Sims 4 features a cartoon-inspired, clean art style (also known as maxis match). It’s bright, readable, and runs well on a lower-end PC. The characters are almost Pixar-like and gimmicky and feel fake and mechanical, but this was always intentional. I think the Sims franchise wants players to know they’re in a life simulation.
Over time, modders and custom content creators have developed CCs you can use to make your characters look and feel realistic (also known as alpha-style). These visuals feature hyper-realistic textures and shading to give your characters a real-life look. The only downside to this is that you need a lot of space on your PC, and if you have a low-end PC, it may cause longer loading times and even lag.
InZoi
When it comes to visuals and graphics, InZoi undoubtedly takes the crown. Krafton’s Life Sim is the first game to create real-life Sims, down to the features, movements, and mannerisms.
InZoi offers hyper-realistic graphics built in Unreal Engine 5, with cinematic lighting, realistic animations, and detailed environments. I was pleasantly impressed and surprised by how visually appealing and life-like the characters are in this game.
InZoi feels like a fever dream, that’s the only way to explain it!
Verdict:
What you choose depends on your preference. If you love realism, pretty, and stunning visuals, InZoi is your best choice. If you’re into gimmicky, cartoon-like characters, The Sims 4 holds up.
Sim Behavior and AI
The Sims 4
Over the past decade, Sims 4 has struggled with inconsistent autonomy and repetitive social interactions. Despite years of updates and mods to improve depth, Sim behavior feels too surface-level, shallow, and robotic.
Yes, emotions are more visible, like when your Sim is happy or sad, but the interactions are repetitive and often lack meaningful consequences. As a result, I tend to get bored more quickly and close the game.
Also, at times, Sims tend to change their mood for absolutely no reason. My Sim would be sitting at the computer working, and out of nowhere, they’d be consumed with fear and dread.
InZoi
InZoi offers more advanced AI and dynamic behavior. Even in its early access stage, Sims act more realistically and in-depth. When my Zoi was happy, her behavior was more in tune and emotional. She would walk, speak, and interact with others with a smile on her face. And, when she was sad, it was the same!
Verdict:
In my opinion, the Sim’s behaviour and AI don’t make much difference in gameplay. It only makes things more visually appealing and satisfying.
Customization and Building
The Sims 4
EA’s Sims 4 has come a long way in character customization and building. The character creator has all the tools you need, from sexual orientation and body sliders to clothing and accessories. You can give your Sim specific aspirations and traits and change their appearance using sliders and presets from custom content creators.
You can also shape your build to match your exact preference in the build mode, e.g., modern, vintage, contemporary, boho, and rustic. The endless customization options are my favorite feature. I can create black Sims, people of color, different clothing styles, and occults (basically anything that comes to mind). You can even customize the open world if you have the right cheats!
InZoi
Unfortunately, InZoi’s character creator lacks in many ways. For one, I found limited options in most categories, starting from the facial hair to accessories and clothing styles. I was only able to pick one trait, which isn’t realistic in my opinion.
My biggest issue with InZoi’s building tools and customization is that everything is too PRETTY.
Let me explain!
The game is designed to generate beautiful-looking Sims, even with the incorporated AI feature. So, when you want to create an average, normal-looking person, you can’t. I spent hours trying to develop scruffy-looking Zois, but it was just impossible. I ended up with drop-dead gorgeous Sims every single time, no matter how much customization I did.
And honestly, looking at pretty faces everywhere quickly became old after a while. In the end, I craved normal-looking individuals.
Verdict:
If your goal is for everything to look pretty and polished, InZoi is your best bet. However, if you want more variety in your looks and traits, you need to get Sims 4.
Modding and Community
The Sims 4
Sims 4 has a massive modding community that adds gameplay depth, realism, custom content, and even complete overhauls. This is what makes Sims 4 superior to InZoi. With mods like Wicked Whims and MCCC, you can add sexual themes, crude humor, fine-tune emotions, add moods, and introduce sickness. You can also build more personalized relationships and make friends.
You can do so much with mods and custom content to help with story progression and character creation. For instance, I love doing challenges like the One Tile Box Challenge and the Sims 4 Rags to Riches Challenge, which is made possible with these mods.
InZoi
I’m not sure if InZoi supports modding at the time of writing this piece. Since it’s a new game, its modding scene has not yet developed. We’ll have to wait until the full release for this.
Verdict:
If community content and modding are important to you, The Sims 4 is unbeatable for now.
Final Verdict: Which One Should You Play?
To summarize, you can play both games. Each offers something unique and creative, allowing players to immerse themselves in a virtual world.
I find the Sims 4 fun and impressive. I can do so much, from building a castle to creating vampires and black Sims. I can also complete hundreds of challenges and use stuff packs for story progression.
As for InZoi, I find it pretty and visually appealing. Everything is super realistic and high-quality, which makes me feel like I’m watching a real-time movie. I also love the graphics.
| You Should Play… | If You Want… |
|---|---|
| The Sims 4 | Stylized graphics, powerful building tools, endless mods, and stable gameplay |
| InZoi | Realistic visuals, modern AI, and a fresh take on life simulation |
Bottom Line:
The Sims 4 is a tried-and-true sandbox with a massive community and tons of creative potential. It’s a good game with working mechanisms, constant updates, and a laundry list of fixes.
InZoi is the exciting new competition with realistic graphics and potential for innovation. It’s pretty, visually appealing, and satisfying.
My advice is to keep an eye out for InZoi. Over time, it has the ability to grow and become a powerhouse. I hope this detailed comparison helps you decide whether to get the early access.
