First of all, the graphics are stunning. The level of visual detail, the character creation, the city design, there is absolutely no question that inZOI is technically impressive. The underground station in particular is beautifully made. The ambition here is clear and I respect it deeply.
That said, as a new player I wanted to share some honest feedback across several areas, because I genuinely believe this game has the potential to be the best life simulation game ever made, if these gaps are addressed.
1. Diversity and Religious Inclusion The game currently lacks meaningful representation. There are no religious spaces, no church, no mosque, no temple, which means there is nowhere to hold a wedding or any faith-based ceremony. This feels exclusionary for a huge portion of the global player base. Beyond that, the premade families don’t include Black or Arab Zois, and the NPC population doesn’t reflect this diversity either. I created a Black Zoi and walking through the city, I felt like the only one, there were no events, no cultural moments, no reflection of my character in the world around me. For a game of this ambition, genuine diversity and inclusion should be a priority, not an afterthought. That said, even if building a full church or mosque from scratch is not immediately feasible, at minimum the game should provide players with the tools and assets to create their own religious spaces, specific architectural elements, stained glass windows, altars, pews, prayer mats, and so on, so that players can build the spaces that reflect their own culture and faith. Giving players that creative freedom would go a long way while the team works on more official content.
2. Camera Controls on Mac The camera movement on Mac feels unintuitive and difficult to manage, especially when two Zois are interacting in a space and you want to move to another room or angle. It breaks the flow of gameplay and needs improvement for Mac users specifically.
3. Zois Lack Emotional Depth This is perhaps the most important point. The graphics are there, but the soul isn’t quite yet. When two Zois pass each other on the street, there’s no spontaneous enthusiasm, no warmth, no personality shining through. Everything feels flat unless the player initiates it. Zois should feel alive, reacting to each other, to their environment, to events happening around them, without the player having to manually trigger every single interaction.
4. NPC Interactions Feel One-Sided When you go to a restaurant, you can order from a screen, but the staff, the receptionist, the waitress, have no interaction with you whatsoever. This completely breaks immersion, especially in romantic scenarios. If I am on a Valentine’s Day date and I have to get up and collect my own food, it defeats the purpose. The waitress should come to the table. Staff should acknowledge you. If the game is going to include restaurants as date venues, the experience needs to feel like an actual date.
5. Limited Accessible Locations There are only three predetermined restaurants you can actually enter. I could see what appeared to be a McDonald’s style restaurant on the street but could not enter it. This limitation makes the city feel like a stage set rather than a living world. More accessible community lots, cafes, shops, places of worship, entertainment venues, would transform the experience significantly.
6. Pets and Animals in Daily Life I didn’t see dogs being walked on the street or any pets integrated into daily outdoor life. This is a small detail but it adds enormous life to a world.
7. The Underground, So Close to Perfect The subway station itself is gorgeous. But there is a loading screen when you enter, which kills the momentum completely. My suggestion: if a loading screen is necessary, use it to actually take the player underground. Show the journey. Let the Zoi board the train, interact with other passengers, encounter characters, a homeless person late at night, a stranger reading a book. That loading time becomes storytelling time. This would be a game-changing detail.
8. Death Needs Emotional Weight Currently when a Zoi dies, you receive a message. That’s it. Death should feel significant, emotional reactions from other Zois, a moment of grief, something that makes the player feel the loss. This is what made other life sims so memorable.
9. Parking It wasn’t entirely clear to me whether your Zoi’s car parks automatically when visiting a location. This needs to be clearer and more intuitive.
10. Jobs, Confusing Mechanics and Limited Career Choices The job system needs significant work. During my first experience, I entered my workplace but when I left the building and tried to return, I was unable to get back in, which is a confusing and frustrating mechanic that needs fixing. Beyond that, the career options feel very limited and monopolistic. For a life simulation game, players should be able to pursue diverse and detailed careers, medicine, law, academia, creative fields, and more. Right now the job system feels underdeveloped compared to the rest of the game’s ambition.
11. Knocking on Doors and Neighbourhood Interaction Currently there is no ability to knock on a neighbour’s door or buzz another flat. This completely removes spontaneous social gameplay, something as simple and iconic as trick-or-treating on Halloween becomes impossible. Children should be able to knock on doors for sweets, Zois should be able to visit neighbours unannounced, and apartment buildings should have functional doors between units. This kind of neighbourhood interaction is fundamental to life simulation and its absence makes the world feel isolated.
12. Apartments and Flat Living Flat living feels underdeveloped. While there are some smaller units available, there is no true apartment building experience where you can knock on your neighbour’s door, interact in shared spaces, or feel the texture of urban communal living. This is a huge opportunity for storytelling and social gameplay that is currently missing.
13. Transport, Where Are the Ride-Share Options? I didn’t notice any ride-share or taxi service available in the game. Something equivalent to an Uber would add both realism and practical gameplay variety, especially for Zois who don’t own a car or are out late at night.
To conclude, inZOI is a visually extraordinary game and the team’s dedication is obvious. But right now it has the graphics without the life. These details, the emotions, the interactions, the diversity, the immersion, are what transforms a beautiful game into an unforgettable one. I believe if the team listens to the community on these points, inZOI can genuinely become the greatest life simulation game ever created. The bones are there. Now it needs its soul.
I hope this feedback is useful. I’ve shared it as someone who genuinely wants to see this game reach its full potential. If the team would like to discuss any of these points further or would welcome more detailed input, please feel free to reach out. I am happy to consult and contribute to making inZOI the best it can be.
