Plague Inc: Aliens & Anti-Vaxxers Review Summary

New plague type and official scenarios are praised, and Xenolith adds unique mechanics, but it is overpriced, scenarios are low quality, and Xenolith lacks depth.

New plague type well-received: The new plague/disease type is frequently described as fun, unique, and different from existing plagues. Some consider it worth the purchase alone.

New official scenarios praised: Reviewers highlight the six new official scenarios as interesting, challenging, and high-quality diversions. They appreciate that the DLC includes scenarios rather than just being a typical add-on.

DLC considered fun and enjoyable: Many reviewers find the DLC very cool, fun, enjoyable, and a pleasant addition. They appreciate the new content and ideas.

Secret endings included: The DLC includes three secret endings, which adds replayability and intrigue for players.

Overpriced for content: Many reviewers find the DLC too expensive given the limited amount of new content compared to its price. The price is often compared unfavorably to the base game or other DLCs like The Cure.

Scenarios low quality: The new scenarios are considered lazy, poorly balanced, and not up to the level of a paid DLC. Community scenarios are often seen as better.

Xenolith lacks depth: The new plague mode is described as boring, simple, and lacking strategic depth compared to previous special plagues. It feels like ability spamming without much variety.

Feels like cash grab: Reviewers perceive the DLC as a rushed money grab, with content that could have been free or a mod. It is seen as overpriced and underdelivering.

Content too short: The DLC is criticized for being extremely short, with minimal content and few scenarios that can be completed quickly. Reviewers feel it leaves much to be desired.

New Xenolith Disease Type: The DLC introduces a new disease or plague type called Xenolith (also Xenocryst/Xenolite) that infects the planet rather than humanity. It has unique mechanics such as spreading crystals from meteor strikes and launching meteors to terraform the world.

Meteor Strike Ability: Players can use a meteor strike ability, including a paid upgrade that spawns more meteors and can be maxed out. Meteorites can be thrown at the five continents and at Greenland.

Unique Plague Mechanics: The new plague type has mechanics that differ from other plagues in Plague Inc., offering a distinct gameplay experience. This includes new mechanics not seen in previous diseases.

Herd Immunity Scenario Mechanics: The Herd Immunity scenario allows infected individuals to recover and develop immunity, adding a new layer of strategy. This scenario is one of the six official additions and features unique gameplay elements.

Infect Planet Not Humanity: The goal in the new disease is to infect the planet itself, rather than humanity, making humans incidental to the objective.

Performance issues reported: Players report low frame rates, stuttering, and poor optimization. These issues occur even on capable configurations.

Not worth the price: Some reviewers feel the DLC is overpriced and not worth the money at full price. They advise against purchasing it or suggest waiting for a sale.

Essential for base game fans: Fans of the base game will likely enjoy this DLC, especially if they want new challenges. It is considered a must-buy for those who loved the original.

Wait for a sale: Many suggest waiting for a discount before buying this DLC. They feel it is only worth it at a lower price point.

Good for fans of series: Reviewers recommend it to fans of the series or those who have exhausted the base game. It offers new content for dedicated players.

Not worth full price, only discount: Several reviewers state the DLC is not worth full price and only recommend it at a significant discount. They feel the content does not justify the cost.

Community fair range: $10.00 - $15.00.

Game completion: 6.0h.

Session length: 0.1h.

The added scenarios generally do not become fun: players call them lazy, boring, broken, and tedious, with one reviewer bored after a single ~7-minute play. A minority reports a few extra hours of enjoyment for those already addicted to the base game, but no clear time-to-fun anchor is described.

Friction: New scenarios feel lazy and boring; Bugs prevent intended events from working; Zombies vs Earth is tedious and uninteresting; Measles is just an easier version of Smallpox; Scenarios get boring after one short play; Content is overpriced for what it adds.

Base-Game Loyalist Supporter: Casual scenario runs played on top of an already-enjoyed base game. Motivation: Supporting the developers and extending a base game they already like with inexpensive extra content. Stance: buy.

Achievement-Driven Difficulty Optimizer: Min-maxing upgrade paths and speed-clearing scenarios on Mega Brutal. Motivation: Mastery of the hardest difficulty and collecting hidden or hard-earned achievements. Stance: buy.

Value-Conscious Skeptic: Weighing the DLC against other modes and waiting for discounts or fixes. Motivation: Getting enough content and balance to justify the price before committing. Stance: sale.

Only one hardware-tagged report was available for Windows systems with under 8GB VRAM, and it describes stuttering and poor optimization. The evidence for this cohort is entirely negative.

Windows <8GB VRAM: negative. The single reported experience on an 8GB VRAM Windows 10 system describes stuttering and poor optimization, with the game running poorly after an update.

Monetization: The reviewed feedback concerns the paid Alien and Anti-Vaxxers DLC for Plague Inc. Some users find it overpriced or underwhelming compared with The Cure expansion, and one calls it a cash grab DLC. However, the complaints are about traditional DLC price and content value, not in-game microtransactions, paid gacha, pay-to-win, or a real-money shop. No evidence of predatory post-purchase monetization appears in the reviews.

Paid DLC Criticism: Some players criticize the DLC as overpriced and question the developer's decision to charge for it, especially given the game's age and history of free updates. There are accusations of greed and comparisons to previous free content.

DLC Compared to The Cure: Many reviewers compare this DLC to The Cure expansion, feeling it offers less content for a similar price. The Cure is often described as a more substantial addition, essentially a new game mode, making this DLC seem underwhelming.

Adds New Scenarios and Pathogen: The DLC introduces several new official scenarios and a new pathogen (Xenolith). Some scenarios are praised for their quality, and the DLC includes free content like the Lepra pathogen for all players.

Developer Support Appreciated: Many reviewers appreciate that the developers continue to support a game that is over a decade old, releasing updates and new content. Some purchase the DLC to show support for Ndemic Creations.

Game Age and Ongoing Development: The base game is over a decade old but still receives updates and DLC, which is both praised and used as a reason to criticize paid DLC. The long development history is a common topic.