InZOI is out in early access and comes with a list of features and fixes that are needed right now. After playing, I can say The Sims 4 looks better than ever in comparison, and my gripes with The Sims in the past don't overwhelm its impressive accomplishments overall. Those who haven't played are likely to wonder how much The Sims 4 does better than InZOI, and I imagine many fans would be surprised by how big that list is.

While it has some strong points, anyone who thought InZOI was too good to be true was completely right. This isn't a scenario like Cities: Skylines out-competing Sim City (2013), but a game that, despite trying its best, doesn't have as many things going for it as it should. The competition is certainly welcome, but The Sims 4 still does a lot of things better than InZOI.

10 Character Behavior Is More Varied In The Sims

Zois Are Total Robots Compared To Sims

I really wish InZOI shared The Sims 4's approach to traits, which makes NPCs feel distinct in The Sims. Zois tend to act like robots, only doing things that follow their pre-set personalities and values. It makes them overly predictable, and they will follow their schedules no matter how they feel. They're not bad, but when compared to Sims, it's like watching a character that looks alive act in a scripted manner versus watching something that looks cartoonish act in a realistic manner.

The Sims 4 feels alive thanks to how the robust system of traits and behaviors affects how Sims act. They will play out their lives without the player, while Zois will often do exactly what they're supposed to do, regardless of how they feel. While there are many features and mechanics that are better in InZOI than in The Sims 4, the characters are not among them.

9 The Sims Has A Lot More Content Than InZOI

InZOI Doesn't Have Anywhere Near Enough To Do

One area where The Sims 4 significantly sures InZOI is the content volume. The Sims 4 has been out for a decade, so it has a vast library of expansions, game packs, and stuff packs. This translates to an enormous number of gameplay options, items, and features that far exceed what InZOI currently offers in its early access state. Unfortunately, the game really feels like it's still in an early build.

InZOI's current offering feels comparatively shallow, and while InZOI promises future additions, there's no guarantee. The Sims 4 has the perk of its established library with building materials, clothing styles, life events, careers, and everything else. The Sims 4 benefits from being the fourth game in a series and has been out for over a decade, so I don't think anyone expected as much content. However, it feels like InZOI really relies on players to make their own fun rather than use what's there.

8 More Towns For Sims To Play In

The Offering Is Modest Compared To The Sims 4

The Sims 4 really outdoes InZOI in the number of towns available. InZOI offers two towns for people to play in, while The Sims 4 has up to 28 towns with expansions, mostly because EA's game has been out for longer. Keep in mind that The Sims 4 was also released with two towns but quickly added in Newcrest. Comparing them today really hurts InZOI, as The Sims 4 has had much more time to develop worlds.

Dowon and Bliss Bay are the two towns in InZOI, and they are very different. Dowon is a Korean-inspired metropolis reminiscent of Seoul, and Bliss Bay is a coastal American city with the vibe of Los Angeles. The cities are very impressive and feature more open exploration than The Sims, but unless more towns are added soon, the replayability will be non-existent. InZOI needs to have content updates over time, which is how it will likely earn money.

7 Build Mode Is A Lot More Intuitive In The Sims

I Miss The Squares That Dictated Everything

One area where The Sims 4 outshines InZOI is the build mode. InZOI definitely has a robust set of tools and customization options, but the build mode falls short compared to The Sims. I it that I have played The Sims series since the first game and had some preconceived notions. Still, The Sims 4 build is easier to use and more intuitive, while InZOI's feels like it's trying to be different when it should have been nearly the same. Even The Sims 4's base game builds available in the gallery beat InZOI's current offering.

Simple things like putting down rugs under furniture are not possible, and for some reason, the game wouldn't let me put furniture everywhere. This may have been a bug, but there's also the organization: everything is sorted by room, not category, which is a lot less organized. Also, I see why The Sims does everything with boxes and set rotation, as the freedom to rotate in InZOI makes it much harder to get the perfect rotation.

6 A Much More Open-Ended Narrative Sandbox

Most Conversations Are The Same

InZOI is aiming for realism and detailed character interaction, but it falls short of the open-ended storytelling that The Sims 4 has. The interactions in Inzoi aren't anywhere near as varied, and this might be a cultural difference, but everyone is trying to be polite all the time. The Sims has a real range of relationships, but InZOI's relationships don't feel more than the surface level of friendliness. It's the kind of thing that quickly starts to feel fake.

The Sims 4 feel more like dolls that can hate or love in unique ways, while Zois just do what they're programmed to do. The best way to explain this is that a Zoi will happily tell another Zoi that they had a horrible experience, while a Sim will vent and cry about that same experience to another sim. The Sims 4 feels more realistic in that way, making it easier to form a believable narrative.

5 Sims 4 Doesn't Have Nearly As Many Bugs

New Games Come With A Lot of Bugs

Comparing bugs feels cheaper, but unfortunately, it's a particularly relevant contrast. The Sims 4 has benefited from being out for so long, and while some bugs exist, it's not the amount of bugs that come with a new game. InZOI has just released into early access, which is a lot like a beta but promises more features in a full release. The developers want players to report bugs so they can be fixed over time, and there are a lot of bugs.

I don't think anyone should go into InZOI expecting a perfect experience, but if we're comparing The Sims 4 to InZOI, it's pretty apparent. I want to believe the game not letting me put furniture anywhere I want is a glitch or a bug, because I've seen Zois crash cars and just walk away without any fuss. I really do think that these bugs will be fixed over time, so it's not that big of a deal right now. The game is cheaper than a full-priced product, so that makes bugs feel a lot more acceptable.

4 The Sims Has More Manageable Time Flow Than InZOI

It Is So Slow In InZOI Land

Every game that's like InZOI or The Sims needs good time management. I understand that InZOI is supposed to be an experience, but that experience lasts way too long each day. I often feel like The Sims don't have enough time in their days because it's more of a dollhouse and living a life is part of it. However, InZOI feels like it's slowing time down on purpose to let players live the life of a single InZOI.

I think this is something I just need to get used to, as I am used to rushing through tasks in The Sims and not appreciating everything around it. Nonetheless, The Sims simply feels like it has better pacing, and InZOI can feel like it drags, especially when doing monotonous tasks. It's a tradeoff overall, but InZOI could stand to be a little faster.

3 Much More Diverse Communication Dynamics

It Reminds Me of The Original Sims

The Sims 4 has many more ways to interact with others than InZOI does. While some of those are kind of cheap, like "angrily talk to," interactions in The Sims 4 are still more varied than what InZOI currently offers. Sims can act jealous, angry, playful, happy, and so many other interactions with Sims they know. That feels so more in-depth than what InZOI has, which is currently an array of simplistic options.

Anyone who has played the original The Sims will how simple all the interactions were. However, as a relationship built over time, more interactions popped up. Basic interactions are all InZOI has right now; the game doesn't have the depth to allow players to do more than the same interactions they have with every other Zoi.

2 Core Gameplay Mechanics Are More Developed

InZOI Needed More Time In Development

One area where The Sims 4 sures InZOI is the depth and functionality of the core gameplay mechanics. A good example is cooking, which is nowhere near ready for a release. A Zoi can make a meal for themselves, but not for a whole family, and players can't do more than just pick the meal. In The Sims, the steps involved allow Sims to change the meal as it gets made, and it's also possible to make a meal for a family.

It's not just cooking: there are plenty of pain points, like not being able to end a phone call quickly or being unable to invite other Zois over. Outside of making a Zoi and building a home, many core elements feel like they are overlooked and not fully developed. The game feels like it still needs more time in the oven, and The Sims 4 currently outdoes InZOI in features in a big way.

1 InZOI Lacks An Established Modding Community

Modders Can't Do Much Just Yet

The Sims 4 has one of the best modding communities in the gaming industry, and InZOI will need years to catch up to where The Sims 4 is right now. Unfortunately, InZOI doesn't feel modder-friendly because of how few options and features it has compared to The Sims 4. In my opinion, InZOI was not ready for early access, and that hurts the ability to mod it because there's so little to do. The best mods for realistic gameplay in The Sims 4 push the game far past InZOI, and that hurts its competitive edge.

There's no doubt in my mind that The Sims 4 has InZOI beat in its current state. I can't imagine InZOI being at the level of EA's offering without a few more years of development. Right now, The Sims 4 still does simulation games better than InZOI, and while it makes for an interesting competitor, it's not ready for anyone expecting a full experience.