Last month,inZOI, a life sim game that is set to release in Early Access at the end of March, received a Teen ESRB rating. This rating suggests that the game will be suitable for players who are 13 years and older, and it is the same rating that was given toThe Sims 4, a title that often comes up when discussinginZOI. While these two games, undoubtedly, differ in significant ways, their shared rating means that there will almost certainly be one notable similarity between them.
Specifically, it is all but guaranteed that there will be community-created mods forinZOIthat bring “mature” content to the game, just as there is forThe Sims 4. Indeed, there are manySims 4modsthat explore subjects and experiences that could never be touched by the base game, due to its Teen rating, and it would be very surprising if that was not also the case withinZOI. In fact, it would be surprising if those hypothetical “adult” mods were not amonginZOI’s most-popular mods, as there are undoubtedly many players in the community who will want them.
What Type of Mature Mods Will inZOI Receive?
Drugs & Alcohol
With respect to what matureinZOImods will look like, there are many possibilities. To start, it is very likely that there will be mods that add drugs and alcohol to the game, similar toThe Sims 4’s popular Basemental Drugs mod. While it is possible thatinZOIcould have received aTeen ESRB ratingwhile including some references to drugs and alcohol use, those elements would need to be minimal, leaving space for more adult-focused offerings.
Nudity & Intimate Encounters
Additionally, there are sure to be mods that focus around nudity and intimate encounters. This category is almost certainly where most of the matureSims 4mods fall, with Wicked Whims being the most popular of the bunch, and it would not be surprising if that was also the case withinZOI.
The description that accompaniesinZOI’s ESRB rating specifically touches upon how the game handles nudity and intimate encounters. Specifically, it states that Zois, thecharacters ininZOI, are covered with “pixelation effects” when using the bathroom, and they are blocked by a “large heart icon” when they are in bed together.
Violence
Finally, mods that increase the game’s violence are likely to be present and popular, just as they are withThe Sims 4. While it remains to be seen if thoseinZOImods go quite as far asSims 4’s popularExtreme Violence mod, players should, at least, expect them to feature blood and Zoi murder. Notably,inZOI’s ESRB rating is due, in part, to the “mild violence” that it features, including deaths from traffic accidents and fires.
InZOI’s Age Rating Makes Sense
While some players may have hoped that the developers would take a more adult-focused approach withinZOI, and go straight for a Mature orAO ESRB rating, it is not at all surprising to see it come in at Teen. Indeed, this rating seems to be something of a sweet spot for life sims that are looking to have broad appeal, as Teen games can touch on subjects that are not strictly for children but must also avoid moving into territories that might be disturbing to younger players (and those players who simply prefer to avoid mature content).
Additionally,inZOI’s mod support, which is facilitated by a partnership withCurseForge, means that nothing is completely lost by restricting the content that appears in the base game. So long as a player is willing to put some effort towards searching for, and installing, mods, it is likely that they will be able to make the experience as mature as they want it to be. That is certainly the case withThe Sims 4, and, if that game is anything to go by, there will be no shortage of adult-focusedinZOImods in the near future.
