Summary
The director ofInZOIhas admitted that there are some shortcomings to having such a realistic art style in comparison to styles like those inThe Sims.While the impressive graphics are part of what have drawn attention toInZOI, that realistic style also made some things more difficult when developing the game.
While it’s barely entered the market,InZOIis already seeing success, achieving a milestone in player count within its first day of release. Many fans have loved the graphical fidelity ofInZOIand what’s possible in the character creator, but there are obviously some big differences betweenInzOIandThe Simsthat go beyond simple graphics.
The director ofInZOI, Hyungjun ‘Kjun’ Kim, spoke in an interview withPCGamesNabout the new game’s visual style and how it has some drawbacks. One thing Kim pointed to was that creating humor in the game was difficult, saying that certain comical moments “didn’t quite fit with the grounded visuals” and that it disappointed the developers. It’s arguable that comedy is a big part of what makesThe Simspopular, as random funny moments happen in the game all the time, and the Sims themselves tend to be a bit zany and exaggerated in their behaviors and basic movements. However, that wasn’t the only issue generated by thevisuals ofInZOI.
InZOI Was Too Realistic for Its Own Good In One Way
By this point,InZOIplayers have no doubt noticed that Zois keep a towel on while they’re getting clean in the bathroom. Kim explained that the Zois look overly suggestive when they’re partially pixelated and blurred out, which is howThe Simsseries has handled the situation when Sims are getting clean or otherwise aren’t wearing clothes. While it might be a bit immersion-breaking for some players, it’s an understandable decision to make, especially given history.
Though nudity and sexuality in games have become more commonplace since,The Simswas considered controversial for its “nude” scenes when the series became a mainstream hit. The era ofThe Sims 2saw controversial then-attorneyanti-video game activist Jack Thompsonallege thatThe Sims 2contained graphic sexual content and nudity that could be fully viewed via mods removing the pixelation. This was a false claim, seemingly made based on hearsay and coming off the heels of the “hot coffee” controversy inGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas. While consumers and even parents are more understanding of game content and ratings these days, it’s pretty easy to understand whyInZOI’s developers made this decision.
WhetherInZOIcan truly stand toe-to-toe withThe Sims 4remains to be seen as time passes. However, even withInZOIhaving to make certain concessions in visuals and humor, it’s entirely possible that both games could see very successful futures due to theindividual strengths ofThe SimsandInZOI.
