inZOI developers have swiftly addressed a disturbing bug that allowed players to run over children in the game, which has now been rectified in their latest patch. This feature, which shocked many in the gaming community, has been the center of recent discussions. Dive deeper to understand more about this issue and hear from the inZOI Director about the game's realistic style.
inZOI Early Access Fixes Shocking Bug
inZOI Developers Aim to Strengthen Internal Review Processes in the Future
During the Early Access phase of inZOI, players discovered a feature that allowed them to run over children with vehicles, causing significant concern among the community. A post on inZOI's subreddit on March 28, titled "I don't think that Krafton realizes that you can run over children in inZOI," showcased footage of a child being hit by a car, resulting in the child being sent flying and ultimately passing away.
While the developers had previously discussed various methods of character death in the inZOI Online Showcase, including vehicular accidents, they clarified that these did not include children. In a statement to Eurogamer on March 28, a Krafton spokesperson emphasized that this was an unintended bug and has since been fixed in the latest patch.
The statement read, "These depictions are highly inappropriate and do not reflect the intent and values of inZOI. We understand the seriousness of this matter and the importance of age-appropriate content. We are strengthening our internal review processes to prevent similar incidents in the future." Removing this bug is crucial, especially since inZOI is rated T for Teen by the ESRB, and maintaining this feature could lead to a more stringent age rating.
inZOI Director Admits Realistic Style Makes It Hard for Goofing Around In-Game
inZOI has received a "Very Positive" review rating on Steam, with many praising its detailed and high-quality graphics. However, in an interview with PCGamesN on March 31, inZOI's Game Director Hyungjun 'Kjun' Kim discussed the challenges of their hyper-realistic approach.
Kjun stated, "This was something we thought about a lot. With such realistic graphics, we constantly questioned how far we should take that realism. At times, we wanted to incorporate comical or lighthearted elements, but they didn’t quite fit with the grounded visuals, which was a bit disappointing sometimes."
Kjun has previously expressed admiration for The Sims 4, highlighting its charming goofiness as a key identity in the genre. However, inZOI's realistic style makes it challenging to include similar playful elements. Despite this, Kjun believes that their approach to inZOI offers unique advantages. He noted, "We believe this level of immersive graphics will resonate with players and, throughout development, we’ve felt both proud and excited to bring this world to life."
While inZOI surpasses The Sims 4 in terms of detail and quality, the developers are still seeking to define the game's identity to stand out against the life-sim giant. To explore our detailed thoughts on inZOI’s Early Access release, read our comprehensive article below!
