InZOIlaunched in Early Access to overwhelmingly positive reviews. As a newcomer to the life sim space,InZOIhas the potential to transform the genre in meaningful ways. Many players are excited to see howInZOIwill change the life sim space and possibly influence other games likeThe Sims 4and the upcoming Paralives.
Mimicking life is an inherent part of life sims, but supernatural elements have always formed one of the pillars ofThe Simsfranchise, the industry leader. The very first game inThe Sims, released in 2000, included supernatural elements such as ghosts. Expansion packs forThe Sims 1soon added more supernatural elements, including genies, magic spells, and zombies.Vampires have become one of the most popular occult groups inThe Sims 4and, outsideThe Sims, are incredibly popular in books, T.V, and movies.InZOIhas the opportunity to include vampires, but has its own reasons for sidestepping the popular monsters.
The Case For InZOI Vampires
SinceThe Sims 1, subsequentThe Simsgames have expanded on the supernatural, and introduced the occult life state, where players can create supernatural sims such as vampires and werewolves. Vampires are one of the most popular life states inThe Sims, and were thefirst occult group reintroduced inThe Sims 4.
As a life sim, vampires may not seem like a natural fit forInZOIor its world, but manyplayers enjoy life sims for their storytelling potentialrather than how closely they match real life. Players who enjoy supernatural elements in life sims, creating and controlling vampire characters, and telling stories about vampires should be included. As vampires have clearly been a popular life state inThe Simsfor such a long time, they should be considered forInZOI.
Krafton has been transparent aboutInZOI’s Early Access roadmapand the content it plans to release over 2025. One ofInZOI’s big content drops includes the addition of ghosts. While there aren’t any details about howInZOI’s ghosts will work in-game yet, they’re a supernatural element that’s already being planned forInZOIbefore many of its realistic elements have been established, and could indicate that there is a space for vampires and other occults inInZOI. With the rise in popularity of Western vampires in Korean media and movies, vampires being part ofInZOI’s future seems likely.
The Case Against InZOI Vampires
InZOIhas opted for a hyperrealistic art style, and including occult states may not matchInZOI’s intended art style or setting. Some players prefer family gameplay, building, and the other realistic elements that life sims offer, and it may be inInZOI’s best interest to exclusively offer just that. Building a niche in the life sim space can be difficult, especially as it’s been dominated byThe Simsfor such a long time, butInZOIcould establish itself by sticking to one thing and excelling at it.
Ideally, occult characters should be rarer than the baseline human, Sim, or Zoi. This, unfortunately, rarely happens for various reasons and is especially noted for conditions that spread, like vampirism. This results in many, if not most, of a city or town’s inhabitants becoming an occult and removes much of the gravitas of being a vampire, as well as compromising the realism of the game. In this case, a toggle is essential to remove vampires and other occult figures if the player does not want them in that particular save file.InZOImay want to skip the hassle that comes with occult figures, focusing entirely on developing realistic gameplay features.
