In the realm of life-simulator games, The Sims 4 has long been a dominant force. The Sims franchise has offered players the ability to craft and control virtual lives with extensive customization for over two decades, and with no signs of slowing down. The Sims 4 had taken one decade out of those two, cementing itself as the modern industry standard for life-simulation. Enter InZOI, a new contender aiming to redefine the genre with cutting-edge graphics and hyper-realism. Although InZOI has only been in Early Access for a short time, fans of the life-sim genre are already drawing points of comparison between it and its long-standing giant of a predecessor.
Initially, a comparison between the two games may seem premature, if not unfair. InZOI is a newcomer already reaching milestones, while The Sims 4 has had an entire decade of development and updates. Both games offer profound customization freedom that characterizes the life-simulation genre. Yet, their approaches to life simulation differ in enough ways to make both unique titles in their own right.
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Similarities Between The Sims 4 and InZOI
Both The Sims 4 and InZOI have earned their places in the life simulation genre by offering rich, player-driven experiences, allowing players to shape the destinies of their characters in a dynamic world. While each game brings its own flair to the genre, there are several similarities that stand out, especially in terms of customization and storytelling.
Creating Possibilities With Build Modes
Players of life-simulators spend endless hours creating ideal spaces for their characters to call home. Both games offer highly satisfying build modes, with InZOI leaning more towards the aesthetic side of customization and The Sims 4 offering build mode cheats and an expansive toolset for structural creativity. With a beginner-friendly UI, the build mode in both games makes building and customization a reasonably straightforward experience for any player.
Strong Character Creators
A character creator in a game is crucial for player immersion. Oftentimes, the first thing a player encounters in a life-simulator is a character creator that has the opportunity to hypnotize a player and make them a lifelong fan. Both The Sims 4 and InZOI allow players to create highly individualized characters by adjusting facial features, body shapes, clothing, and accessories. Additionally, both games allow players to influence the personality of their Sims and Zois by selecting traits, desires, and more.
Story-based Gameplay for Endless Adventure
A life-simulator wouldn’t be a life-simulator without a system that offers players continuity. Luckily, InZOI and The Sims 4 spoil players with true sandboxes where shenanigans can ensue. The story-based gameplay in The Sims 4 and InZOI shares a key similarity in that both games place a significant emphasis on player-driven narratives, where the story evolves based on the characters and their actions. While each game brings its own unique take on storytelling, the overall structure and focus on player agency make them comparable in terms of their narrative potential.
Differences Between The Sims 4 and InZOI
Although they share a genre and are the target of comparisons, The Sims 4 and InZOI are wildly different and wholly unique. While The Sims 4 and InZOI share some core elements of life simulation gameplay, there are distinct differences that set the two apart. These differences are generally rooted in the unique design philosophies and priorities of each game.
Open World vs. Loading Screens
Veteran players of The Sims were surprised when Maxis moved away from the open-world design of earlier Sims games in The Sims 4. The Sims 4 features a world divided into smaller, distinct zones that require loading to transition between. Navigation between distinct neighborhoods necessitates loading screens in between, preventing seamless, uninterrupted transportation between lots. The change was so jarring that The Sims 4 competitors have rejected loading screens in their game designs.
InZOI offers a fully open and somewhat customizable world where Zois can travel from lot to lot without the need for loading screens. The current map in InZOI is so expansive and immersive that Zois can opt to drive a car to get from point A to point B. While The Sims 4 lacks drivable cars, InZOI introduces functional vehicles, allowing players to navigate the game world more dynamically.
Graphical Performance and Fidelity Differences
The Sims 4 and InZOI offer players a different graphical experience. Players have even opted to make the same characters in InZOI and The Sims 4 to prove the differences. One of InZOI’s most significant selling points for players looking for something other than any game in The Sims franchise was its realistic graphics. InZOI distinguishes itself through its photorealistic graphics, which create hyper-realistic environments and character models. On the other hand, The Sims 4’s cartoon-y style offers players a different in-game feel.
The graphical requirements of both games take different tolls on a player’s operating systems. While The Sims 4 can run on most computers with some exceptions, InZOI’s operating requirements are significantly higher.
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AI Features Expand on Customization in Contrast to Presets
InZOI leverages artificial intelligence to enable players to create custom textures and patterns, adding a layer of personalization not present in The Sims 4. In InZOI, players can use AI-powered tools that help generate textures and patterns for multiple needs. The game’s AI can generate patterns and textures for furniture, clothing, and specific in-game objects. The use of AI in InZOI has been met with heavy criticism from life-sim players, despite being a major selling point for the game. This opposition mirrors larger conversations on AI in the video game industry.
The way that InZOI leverages its AI features is reminiscent of when The Sims franchise boasted the Create-A-Style tool. While loaded with preset textures and color wheels, the Create-A-Style tool allowed Sims players to have expanded customization options. The Create-A-Style tool was only a feature for The Sims 3 and a The Sims spin-off game, The Sims Medieval.
InZOI has Consequences that Mirror the Real World
A unique feature that truly sets InZOI apart from The Sims 4 is the fact that a Zoi could commit a crime that lands them in jail. InZOI introduces a Karma system that measures a Zoi’s good or bad deeds. The worse a Zoi’s Karma is, the worse their deeds can be. Eventually, Zois are able to rob ATMs with terrible Karma. Unsuccessful robberies result in arrests, where the player’s Zois will have to stay in jail to reflect on their actions.
While The Sims 4 has a reputation system that influences how NPCs react to a Sim based on prior social deeds, the consequences of poor behavior are nowhere near as dire as InZOI’s. In March 2025, Maxis reintroduced a fan-favorite criminal to The Sims 4. The only crime a Sim can be involved in is being the victim of a burglar.
- Released
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September 2, 2014
- ESRB
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T for Teen: Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Electronic Arts
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