Generative AI vs. Creativity: The Controversial Feature in inZOI
After creating my household, I was dropped into Dowon, inZOI’s Seoul-inspired city, ready for my digital counterpart to immerse themselves in this stylish world. However, this is where the cracks in the ambitious project started to show. While the open world is vast, it still feels like it’s in its early stages. The city is bustling with people, places, and activities, yet an underlying sense of emptiness lingers in the background, one that needs addressing before the game’s official release.
Starting off in my Zoi’s brand-new apartment, they moved around the beautifully designed space, cooking a frittata and chatting with their roommate. Communication in inZOI is categorized into Love, Friendship, and Business, allowing you to steer conversations and relationships in any direction by cycling through these options. The Zois communicate in a language reminiscent of Simlish, specifically developed for inZOI. “We created a language for inZOI, for the Zois,” Kim explained. “There’s a language for Dowon and one for Bliss Bay, which is inspired by America. If we used English or Korean, we’d need voice actors and face challenges with localization. So, we developed our own language, it’s written in Korean, but the voice is unique and independent, existing solely within inZOI.”
At first glance, the interactions are convincing, though movement can occasionally feel jarring or awkward. The animations, however, often compensate for these quirks, I was particularly charmed by how my Zoi cracked eggs into a bowl with such realistic precision. My Zoi took selfies and spent a surprisingly long time on the toilet after eating that frittata, perhaps not the best meal choice. When it was time to explore the city, I left the apartment and ventured into the open world. My Zoi could roam the expansive city without many barriers, and I could instantly manipulate the environment’s settings, transforming the sunny landscape into a post-apocalyptic wasteland with just a few clicks. Even with occasional texture pop-ins, I was impressed by how seamlessly I could shape Dowon and interact with its inhabitants, it felt intuitive and liberating.
To add balance to this freedom, inZOI introduces a Karma system, which tracks your Zoi’s actions and doles out consequences for bad behavior. Committing social blunders like littering or stealing can lower your reputation, leading to rumors circulating among other Zois. I even ‘secretly farted’ in the kitchen near my virtual husband, which I’m sure had its own impact. Despite the game’s emphasis on boundless freedom, I appreciated the presence of these moral boundaries, even if I hadn’t fully grasped all the details of how the system worked yet.
